The Willow and the Werewolf
by Jedi Sapphire
Summary: The events leading up to a prank that could have gone horribly wrong, and how James Potter became less of a toerag. No non-canon pairing and no slash; rating just to be safe. Now complete.
1. Just Another Day

**DISCLAIMER: **I own nothing.

**THE WILLOW AND THE WEREWOLF**

**CHAPTER 1: JUST ANOTHER DAY**

Professor Flitwick was teaching his class over a pile of books, horrible smells were emanating from the nameless phials and bottles in the Potions Master's office, and Sirius Black and James Potter were being told off by Professor McGonagall. In other words, it was just another day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"The _third _time this week!" Professor McGonagall was shouting. "You have now hexed Severus Snape a total of thirty-six times this year, and received sixty-seven detentions between you for doing so. Have you nothing to say for yourselves?"

They had not. Even if they'd had something to say, they would not have said it. Sirius and James were not stupid, quite the opposite. Each of them had received his full complement of 'Outstanding' O.W.L.s, despite the fact that they had set a record in Gryffindor Tower for studying as little as possible.

Professor McGonagall glared at them over her square spectacles. "Twenty points from Gryffindor, and another detention for each of you. You will have to do it next week, since your evenings this week will be taken up finishing the detentions you were given when you replaced Mr Snape's powdered root of asphodel with powdered bezoar."

"Yes, Professor," Sirius said, trying and failing to look suitably abashed.

"And now before you go down to dinner you will go to the Hospital Wing and personally undo what you have done to Mr Snape. And if I hear of a thing like this happening again, I will be _most_ seriously displeased."

* * *

"Right, then, Snivelly," James said. "I think the spikes are an improvement –"

"What he means is," Sirius clarified, "that anything would be an improvement on the way you normally look."

"Precisely," James said. "If I were you, I would be suitably grateful to us for making you look less like a slimy toad."

"But since you obviously _enjoy_ looking like a krup's dinner – and an unappetizing one at that – we shall be happy to arrange it for you."

Snape opened his mouth, probably to enhance their vocabulary of swear words, but Sirius cut in.

"Of course, before we begin such a complicated operation, it is necessary to sterilize the working environment._ Scourgify!_"

A jet of soapy water blasted from his wand and drenched Snape.

"You," Snape snarled, spitting out soap. "Just wait Black, just wait."

"The working environment," James said, "must also be free of all unnecessary objects. _Evanesco!_"

Snape managed a Shield Charm in time to prevent his robes from vanishing. He could not, however, dodge Sirius's Disarming spell.

"Now, Snivelly," Sirius said, pocketing Snape's wand, "you shouldn't resist good medication. Since you insist on struggling – _Petrificus totalus!_ It's for your own good, you know," he added, looking at Snape's prone form.

Judging by the scowl on Snape's face, he was just waiting until he could talk again to begin telling Sirius in excrutiating detail exactly what he thought of him.

"Now listen, Snivelly," James said. "If you ever come sneaking round Gryffindor Tower again –"

"If you even try to _persuade_ some unsuspecting First-Year to tell you the password –"

"If one of us even _thinks_ that you are interfering with Remus or Peter –"

"You will regret it for the rest of your life," Sirius finished. "Assuming, of course, that you _have_ a life when we are done with you."

James looked at the clock and sighed.

"Well, Snivelly, I'd love to spend all evening with you, pleasant conversation and all, but we have to get to dinner, you know, and then the Common Room. We have things to do…"

"Pranks to plan…"

"New ways to make our lives, and yours, interesting. So… _Finite incatatem._"

Snape got to his feet. "Now, do not resist," Sirius said. "The counter-curse can be… painful… if the subject is unwilling."

"Together?" James asked.

"I think so. On three… one… two… THREE!"

"_Retradacto!_"

Snape suppressed a howl with difficulty. The counter-curse was decidedly unpleasant; he felt as if he were being drenched in ice-cold water and plunged into a bonfire at the same time.

Several minutes later he examined himself in the mirror.

"Don't worry, Snivelly," James said, "you're normal again."

"_Normal_," Sirius supplied, "being a relative term, Snivelly, since what passes for normal for you…"

James finished the sentence. "Let's just say opinions differ. There _must_ be people in the world who consider being a greasy git normal."

"Even if I've never met any."

"You forget Snivellus, Padfoot."

"Ah, yes. I beg your pardon, Snivelly, but you spend so much time skulking around that we never notice you when you _are_ there."

Snape turned and stalked out. He was not going to his dormitory, as Madam Pomfrey anxiously suggested. He was going to complain to his Head of House, and if that didn't work he was going to Professor Dumbledore's office.

* * *

"There you are," Remus said, looking up from his essay on Self-Transfiguration. "Where have you been?"

Sirius sat down in an armchair by the fire, completely oblivious to the Third-Year who was eyeing him with interest over _Intermediate Transfiguration_.

"We've just been having a nice little chat with Snivelly."

"What, again!"

"Honestly, Moony! You sound as if having a conversation is a violation of the Statute of Secrecy or something. We were only _talking_ to him," James said with an air of injured innocence.

"Yes, I'm sure. Just like you were only _talking_ to him last Saturday, and the Tuesday before that, and –"

"Yes, yes, we know," Sirius said hastily. "Our point was that you're overreacting."

James took out his quill and unrolled some parchment.

"What was that essay we were supposed to do for Flitwick?"

"Memory Charms," Peter Pettigrew reminded him.

"Oh, yeah…"

He started writing. Remus frowned at him.

"Tell me, what has Snape ever done to you?"

"Moony," James protested. "I'm doing my Charms homework."

"Well, stop doing it for a minute and answer me."

"You want me to stop doing _homework_?" asked James in astonishment.

"You're not going to go all Prefect-Moony-must-keep-the-rules on us, are you?" Sirius said, sniggering.

"Breaking rules is one thing, Sirius. Hexing perfectly harmless people for no fault of theirs is another thing altogether."

"If you call Snivelly _harmless_…"

"It's not just Snape! Last week you jinxed Eloise Davis –"

"She was trying to dock us twenty points!" Sirius protested. "You can hardly blame us for that."

"Yes, well, you deserved it. Setting off fireworks in the Entrance Hall! If I'd been around I would have docked you _fifty_."

"You would _not_," Sirius said, sounding outraged, but James looked thoughtful.

"Yeah, that's right – you weren't there, were you? How on earth did you know we jinxed her?"

"Well, when I heard at the Prefects' Meeting that she'd had to go to the Hospital Wing with a nose the size of a melon, it didn't take too much thought to figure out who was behind it."

James scowled and went on with his essay. A group of First-Years going up to their dormitory gave him a wide berth on their way to the boys' staircase.

"Mind out," one of them whispered to the others. "They just got told off by McGonagall over this afternoon…"

"Do you _see_," Remus hissed as soon as they were out of earshot. "They're scared of you! You two are practically legendary!"

Sirius grinned proudly. "We are, aren't we? Nobody messes with the Marauders!"

James looked up from his homework long enough to grin at Sirius.

"We should have a shield of our own in the trophy room. 'In honour of Sirius Black and James Potter, who between them performed the impossible and turned Snivellus Snape into something resembling a human being.'"

"It's not funny," Remus growled.

* * *

"… AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT ANYMORE!" Snape shrieked to Professor Slughorn, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House.

"Calm down, Mr Snape," Professor Slughorn said. "There isn't any point exciting yourself."

"BUT IT ISN'T FAIR!" Snape shouted. "THEY ALWAYS GET AWAY WITH THINGS."

"Mr Snape, I am not deaf. I believe Professor McGonagall has given both Black and Potter detention and taken points from Gryffindor House, so you can hardly say they are not being punished."

"BUT –" Snape began, then stopped and went on at a more normal volume. "But it doesn't matter if she takes points from Gryffindor, because they'll win the Quidditch Cup and then Potter and Black will have all the answers in every class and they'll make them up. And they _like_ detention. They can sit and plot new atrocities!"

"Come now, Mr Snape, aren't you exaggerating?"

"I am _not_ exaggerating," Snape said angrily. "I –"

"Mr Snape," Professor Slughorn said, "I understand your frustration. But you can hardly expect Professor Dumbledore to expel Mr Potter and Mr Black for playing pranks on their fellow-students. And these are not the Dark Ages. We do not hang students from the ceiling by their thumbs. It is nearly nine o'clock, so unless you have something important to say I suggest you go to bed. You do not want to be caught out of bounds."

Snape went out growling under his breath. Fortunately for him, his Head of House couldn't hear exactly what he was saying.

* * *

Well? What do you think? Please review!


	2. A Manner of Speaking

**DISCLAIMER: **JK Rowling is a rich British woman. I just have one out of three.

Many thanks to silverbirch and Macabre-Melody for reviewing.

**CHAPTER 2: A MANNER OF SPEAKING**

"Minerva, a word with you if I may."

"Of course, Albus," Professor McGonagall said. "Is something wrong?"

Professor Dumbledore looked far graver than normal.

"Not exactly. Will you step into my office?"

Professor McGonagall followed Professor Dumbledore into his office ("Liquorice Wand") and sat down.

"Would you care for a sherbet lemon? No? Very well then, to business. I must confess, Minerva, that I am not happy with the Gryffindor Sixth-Years so far this year."

"Black and Potter, I suppose?" Professor McGonagall said.

"Precisely. Sirius and James have always had a certain disregard for rules, and been more arrogant than strictly desirable. I have overlooked it all this time, but now it is really getting out of hand. Especially the way they treat Severus Snape."

"He came to complain to you, did he?"

"He complained to Horace, who spoke to me. It seems James and Sirius hexed Mr Snape yesterday."

"Students hex each other often enough," said Professor McGonagall a trifle defensively.

"I know," Dumbledore said, his moustache twitching. "Especially in the week before a Quidditch match. It seems, however, that James and Sirius were far less than polite to Severus when you sent them to de-hex him."

Professor McGonagall sighed.

"I'll send them to you."

"I thought you might want to speak to them yourself."

"It wouldn't do any good. I've shouted myself hoarse and achieved nothing. They've had at least two detentions a week so far this term. I have a feeling they think this is the last year they'll be able to have fun, as they call it. Next year they'll be taking the NEWTs. We can hope they will have more pressing matters to occupy their time. Shall I send them to you this evening?"

Professor Dumbledore paused a moment to consider.

"I do not believe it would do any good. To tell you the truth, Minerva, I am a little disappointed in Remus Lupin as well. I had hoped he would restrain his friends a little."

"Lupin? I think he tries. But it's simply not possible to make those two see sense. Lupin might do it if he had some support from Pettigrew, but –"

Professor McGonagall broke off with a grimace.

"Peter… Yes, I know what you mean. I was surprised when the Hat placed him in Gryffindor," Professor Dumbledore said. "He is hardly likely to tell James and Sirius anything they don't want to hear."

"I suppose I could ask Miss Evans to speak to Black and Potter," Professor McGonagall said doubtfully.

"Yes, she might be the best person – after all, she is a friend of Mr Snape's as well. And Lily is certainly a credit to Gryffindor… I think she'd make a good Head Girl."

"Maybe. I don't know that you have that many to choose from."

"Alice McKinnon, of course, and Amelia Bones… Bellatrix Black might not be bad either, but I have no doubt that she'll join Voldemort as soon as she's left school. Not the kind of person you want exerting influence on the students."

"No," said Professor McGonagall firmly. "I don't know who there is in Ravenclaw – Aurora Edgecombe, of course, she's a fine student…"

"Yes, she is a definite possibility. I keep trying to find Slytherins for the post – Horace spoke about that as well. There have been so few Head Boys and Girls from Slytherin, just one or two since Tom Riddle. He seems to think we are prejudiced against his House."

"Not without reason," Professor McGonagall muttered.

"All the same, I believe he will press his candidates strongly. Severus, I suspect, or Rodolphus Lestrange."

"Lestrange!"

"I know, I know. But whom he puts forward from his House is his business. I think Filius would like Justin Goldstein. As for Hufflepuff…I really don't know. Amelia Bones for Head Girl, maybe, but I don't know that there are any boys for the post this year."

"I suppose you want to know whom I'd like from my House."

"It would be helpful."

"Evans or McKinnon, but I think Evans would be better. As for the _boys_," she grimaced. "Lupin's the only one who can even be _considered_."

"I do not think Remus needs any more responsibility than he has already."

"There you have it, then."

"Aren't you forgetting somebody, Minerva?"

"Who? Pettigrew? He'd be scared of the First Years if they looked at him sideways."

"I was referring to James."

"_What!_ Potter! You can't be serious, Albus!"

"Oh, but I am serious, Minerva. I think James would be an excellent Head Boy if he could only overcome his animosity for Severus."

"That won't happen anytime soon."

"Or if he could even leave him alone. A lack of outright enmity would satisfy me."

"You really mean it, don't you?" Professor McGonagall said incredulously. "You would make Potter Head Boy."

"At any rate we can be sure he will not be scared of the First Years. What James needs is less arrogance."

"If you say so. And what do you want me to do about Black and Potter?"

"It might be as well to talk to Remus. He is more likely to succeed than you or I or Lily."

* * *

"Watch," James whispered.

He pulled a marked Transfiguration essay out of his bag, studied Professor McGonagall's signature at the bottom, nodded with satisfaction, and tapped the parchment with his wand. The ink above the signature shimmered and flowed into new lines.

Sirius grinned as he read what they said.

­_I hereby give Sirius Black and James Potter permission to use the Restricted Section of the Library to complete their homework assignments._

"Brilliant!" Sirius said softly. "Now all we have to do is find those books with the curses Professor Williamson was talking about…"

"And we have Snivelly all ready to practise on."

Remus frowned at them across the table.

"Is there something I should know?"

"Well," James said, "we have that Charms homework due tomorrow. And there's a Hogsmeade trip in two weeks."

"And the Quidditch match on Saturday. You don't want to miss that."

Remus rolled his eyes.

"I hope the two of you aren't planning to get in any more _trouble_."

"Moony!" said James with an injured expression. "Would we do that?"

"I wouldn't put anything past you."

He pushed away his empty plate and got up.

"Where are you going?" James said in surprise.

"To talk to McGonagall."

"What!" Peter yelped. "You're not going to tell her it was Padfoot and Prongs who put those pixies in Flitwick's office?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Remus said shortly. "She told me to meet her after dinner."

"Honestly, Wormtail, how thick are you?" Sirius demanded, as soon as Remus was out of earshot. "You know Moony wouldn't go sneaking to McGonagall."

"You never know," Peter said virtuously. "He's taking his Prefect duties very seriously this year."

Sirius and James glanced at each other.

"Still," Sirius said. "He's our friend."

* * *

"Sit down, Lupin," Professor McGonagall said briskly.

"What's wrong, Professor?"

Professor McGonagall frowned to herself for a minute, as though wondering where to begin.

"Lupin," she said finally, "I think you should keep a closer eye on your friends."

"Sirius and James?"

"Yes. I have sent more owls to _their_ parents than to the parents of all the other Gryffindors put together. This childish behaviour must stop."

"Yes, Professor," Remus said. "I'll tell them."

"You've been _telling_ them for several months," Professor McGonagall said dryly. "I really did hope you would be a restraining influence. There is not a single student in this school who has never broken rules, but the way those two torment Severus Snape – all the Slytherins, in fact – is iniquitous."

"I know, Professor," Remus said uncomfortably. He _had_ tried to make Sirius and James behave, but behaving was not something they did easily.

"I saw that they had their heads together at dinner," she went on. "I have little doubt it was some new prank. I would like you to tell them that if they embarrass Gryffindor House any further, I will be _most_ seriously displeased."

"Yes, Professor," Remus said.

Ten minutes later, he stalked into the Gryffindor Common Room.

"You're back," Sirius said. "What did McGonagall want?"

"What she always wants," Remus growled. "She wanted to tell me to tell _you_ to behave."

"Well, that's OK then," said James dismissively. "I thought it might be something important. C'mon, Padfoot, we need to finish Flitwick's essay."

"That's the problem with you two!" Remus snapped. "_Nothing_ is important."

"Well, come on, Moony," Sirius said defensively, "she complains to you about us thrice a week."

"Precisely. And normal people would be _embarrassed_ about it. But _you_ seem to think it's a reward for being clever."

"'Course we don't," said James. "The reward is all those owls she sends home!"

Remus shook his head helplessly and took out his Charms homework.

"Fine. Just don't blame _me_ when you get another detention."

"We won't," Sirius said cheerfully. "And now that you've come, do you want to sneak into the Slytherin Common Room with us tomorrow night? If so, you'd better get some sleep now. It'll take a while."

"You're not doing something again? Already?"

"What do you mean _already_?"

"I mean that at the rate you're going, you'll have to stay at Hogwarts in the summer holidays to finish all your detentions."

"Cool! We can hex the Slytherin Common Room for when they come back on September first."

"Suit yourselves."

"So – are you with us?"

"No."

"Oh, go on, Moony," Peter said. "I mean, Prefects have fun, too."

"Nobody'll even know it's us," James added.

"No, but they'll suspect."

"They'll suspect Padfoot and me, and maybe Wormtail. Not you. And even if they do, they can't do a thing without proof."

"Anyway, what's sneaking into the Slytherin dungeon compared with what you do once a month?"

"Quietly!" Remus hissed. "All right, I'll do it."

"Spoken like a true Marauder!" Sirius said with a grin.

* * *

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	3. A Challenge

**DISCLAIMER:** Not mine! I just play with the characters.

Many thanks to silverbirch and Macabre-Melody for reviewing.

**Author's Note:** This is a shorter chapter, and it's meant to be a bit of a bridge, so not too much happens... But bear with me, I promise it will get better!

**CHAPTER 3: A CHALLENGE**

"Let me see that," Madam Pince said suspiciously.

"Here," Sirius said innocently, handing her the piece of parchment with Professor McGonagall's signature. She frowned over it and tapped the signature with her wand.

"Well… it looks genuine enough. Go on. But be _careful_ with those books."

James and Sirius nodded fervently and fled.

They did not go back to Gryffindor Tower, where the sight of their heads bent over a book on a Saturday afternoon would have attracted the liveliest suspicions. They went out to the grounds and made for the lake.

They might have reached it without incident, had Severus Snape and Lily Evans not been walking up to the castle.

"Snivelly!" Sirius cried gleefully, as James hastily turned the book around so that its title could not be seen. "You're outdoors? In the afternoon? I always thought vampires couldn't stand sunlight."

Snape drew out his wand.

"Ignore him," Lily said, shooting Sirius and James a very cold look. "Let's go to the library. I was afraid to go there earlier in case these two were in it."

"How about going for a walk with me, Evans?" James asked, running his free hand through his hair. "I'll be better company than Snivellus –"

"He has a name."

"I'll be better company than _Snape_," James said, not at all fazed.

"I doubt you'd be better company than a Flobberworm, Potter."

With that she stalked up the path, her head in the air. Snape followed, pausing only to give Sirius and James a glare that would have Petrified a Basilisk.

"Smooth, mate," Sirius chortled as they went on down to the lake. "Should I start writing my speech for the wedding breakfast?"

"She'll go out with me," James said firmly. "She can't _seriously_ like Snivellus better."

"She might like _you_ better if you stopped calling him Snivellus."

"Sev – Sever – Seve –" James made a gagging motion. "I can't say it! I'll just have to find another way."

"Later," Sirius said, as they reached the lake and threw themselves to the ground under the beech tree. "For now we have some serious studying to do."

James grinned, flipping open _Hexes, Curses and Jinxes for Attack and Defense_.

* * *

"Wormtail," Remus said, glancing out the window at the fading light, "have you seen Prongs and Padfoot?"

"They were going to the library this morning," Peter said. "I've not seen them after that."

Remus groaned.

"They must have got that infernal book. McGonagall's going to _kill_ me when she finds out I knew what they were doing and I didn't try to stop them!"

Peter shrugged. "Tell her you couldn't stop them. They're your friends; you can't be sneaking to her."

"They _are_ my friends. That's why I should be talking sense into them." His head shot up as the portrait hole opened to admit Lily. "Evans!" he called, leaping out of his armchair and crossing the room as quickly as he could without knocking anybody over.

"Evans," he said in an undertone as soon as he reached her, "have you seen James and Sirius anywhere?"

"Black and Potter?" Lily asked. "I saw them going down to the lake after lunch." She eyed him for a moment. "If it's any good to you, I saw them carrying a book – I couldn't see the name but it looked pretty gruesome. I have a feeling there was a bloodstain on the spine."

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better," Remus muttered.

Lily shrugged.

"Stop them, then."

"Do you think I wouldn't stop them if I could?"

"I've never seen you trying very hard."

"I've talked to them –"

"Clearly not often or strongly enough."

"That's not fair!"

"Have you ever tried to help anyone Potter and Black were bullying?"

"Just because Snape and I are not the best of friends –"

"Never mind Severus," Lily said impatiently. "What about that third-year they caught hold of last week? They made him sprout fur all over his face in the middle of the corridor and you did _nothing_ to stop them! You didn't even cast the counter-curse when they were finished!"

"They're my friends," Remus said defensively.

"Remember what Professor Dumbledore told us last year, Lupin? After they found out Johnson had been Imperiused?"

Remus remembered, and the thought made him flush.

Professor Dumbledore had come to the Gryffindor common room after dinner, his face unusually grave, with no twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

"This could have been avoided," he had said, looking around at the assembled students, "had the friends of the unfortunate Mr Johnson warned somebody of his uncharacteristic behaviour. I know that students have always looked on telling tales as dishonourable – and rightly so. But if is to survive these dark times, Gryffindor House must learn to distinguish between sneaking and genuine concern. Remember that there are all kinds of courage. The courage to stand up for what you believe in, the courage to disagree with your friends…"

* * *

James shut the book, looking slightly ill.

"I can't believe anyone would _do_ that."

"I can," Sirius said darkly. "I bet my old mum would do it to me in a heartbeat if I ever went home."

James shook his head, looking out over the lake.

"Let's go," he said finally. "I'll take this back to the library on my way – I don't want to have it near me any longer than I have to!"

They got to their feet and walked slowly up to the castle.

In the Great Hall they parted, James to return the book to the library and Sirius to Gryffindor Tower.

Sirius was lost in black thoughts as he strolled through the corridors, and consequently did not notice the footsteps behind him until somebody bumped into him as they brushed past.

"Snivellus," Sirius growled, recognizing the curtain of greasy hair, "where are you going? To hang around Gryffindor Tower waiting for Evans?"

"If I wait for her, she will eventually come," Severus snarled, "and that's more than can be said for Potter."

Sirius barked a laugh.

"Keep telling yourself that, Snivelly, if it makes your sneaking around any more bearable."

"Sneaking around? You're a fine one to talk to me about it. Don't think I haven't noticed! You and Potter –"

"Pranks," Sirius said dismissively. "Pranks and jokes, Snivellus, are a healthy and normal part of Hogwarts School. Being an underhand little ferret, on the other hand –"

"You think you're so clever?" Snape said. "I've heard you running out of the castle at midnight, under an Invisibility Cloak, I suppose –"

"And what were you doing out of bed at midnight, Snivelly? Some dark magic like your vicious friends?"

"I'll find out what you're doing and –"

"Tell on us?" Sirius said, laughing. "Go on, Snivelly, tell on us. Then maybe you'll be Head Boy next year."

"I can get you in trouble –"

"You follow us and you're getting yourself in trouble."

"My, my…" Snape said softly. "Can it be that you are afraid of me, Black?"

"Afraid?" Sirius snapped. "Of _you_? You wish, Snivelly! You want to know what we do? Go to the Shrieking Shack on Wednesday night."

"Oh, and I just fly in, I suppose."

"Well, great bats _do_ fly, as far as I know…"

"If you're scared of what I might find out…" Snape said, shrugging.

Sirius let out a sound halfway between a growl and a curse.

"Fine, Snivelly, suit yourself! Just don't say I didn't warn you. There's another way to get in. Go to the Whomping Willow and prod the knot on the trunk with a stick or something… That'll calm it down and you can go near it. Follow the tunnel under the roots… Then we'll know how _brave_ you really are."

* * *

What did you think? Please review!

* * *


	4. The Voice of Reason

**DISCLAIMER: **Nothing is mine!

Thanks to silverbirch, Someone aka Me, Macabre-Melody and cherrycool for reviewing.

**Author's Note: **I just realized that I've messed up the timelines a bit **blushes** – thanks to cherrycool for pointing it out – but I think it can be fixed without much damage to the plot; some revision of Chapter 2 should do it. I'll get to it as soon as I can. Meanwhile, here's the next chapter… And with Chapter 5 the action should begin!

Please leave a review!

* * *

**CHAPTER 4: THE VOICE OF REASON**

Sirius, feeling extremely pleased with himself, went back to Gryffindor Tower. Remus and Peter were sitting by the window surrounded by parchment and books; from the look of anguish on Peter's face he had still not finished his Transfiguration essay.

Sirius sank comfortably into a chair beside them, looking out over the grounds with a small grin. He could not see the Whomping Willow from this window, but he could just imagine Snape running around it all night trying to poke the knot and not even being able to see it.

"Padfoot!" Peter said. "You're back! Where's Prongs?"

"Library," Sirius said tersely.

"Can you do something in Transfiguration tomorrow?"

Sirius and Remus stared at him.

"There's no way I can finish my essay! I thought I'd just hand in a roll of blank parchment when McGonagall collects the homework, and then I'll finish it during the class and if you cause enough confusion in the last ten minutes I can exchange –"

"Don't be thick," Sirius said, before Remus could get started on a lecture. "You can't do things like that in McGonagall's class. She'll find out in the first five minutes and you'll probably have detention for the rest of your life."

Peter, looking unhappy and muttering about the sleep he was losing, returned to his homework. Sirius went back to grinning at the view from the window.

"All right," Remus said quietly. "What is it?"

"What is what?"

"I know that look, Padfoot. What have you and Prongs planned? I hope it's nothing out of that book –"

"What? No!" Sirius yelped, looking appalled. "You were right, Moony, it really _is_ a dark book – Prongs has gone to give it back."

"Hmmm…" droned Remus, unconvinced. "What is it, then?"

"Nothing!"

"You can't hide it from me – I _know_ that look. You're planning something."

"We're not planning anything, Moony, honestly! We just finished the book and came back in."

"Yes, but –"

"Oh, come _on_, Moony!" Sirius said, contriving to look hurt. "Didn't I just say the book had dark magic? Do you _really_ think we'd try it, even for a joke?"

Remus sighed.

"I suppose not," he said, going back to his homework.

James came in a couple of minutes later.

"Done?" Sirius asked casually.

"Yeah. I don't even want to _see_ that book again! Do we have any homework left to do?"

"Only the Transfiguration essay."

"Done that."

Sirius shrugged.

"Nothing, then. Chess?"

For a while the four of them sat in silence, broken only by the sound of shattering chessmen and occasional complaints from Peter as he struggled with his essay.

Peter was the first to shut his books, roll up his parchment, and go to bed. Remus, after one last hard glance at James and Sirius, followed him.

As soon as they'd both gone, James said, "All right, what is it?"

"What is what?"

"Padfoot."

Sirius grinned. He never _had_ been able to keep things from James.

"I thought of a brilliant prank to play on Snivellus."

James's eyes brightened.

"What?"

"It's – no, I'd better not tell you."

"Padfoot! Come on…What is it?"

"Let it be a surprise," Sirius said, his grin widening. "It'll be better that way. Just look out for Snivelly sneaking around when you least expect him. And don't say anything to Moony or Wormtail – Moony's got that must-uphold-the-rules-and-be-kind-to-Snivelly look on his face today, have you noticed?"

"Yeah," James said thoughtfully. "I wonder why."

"I bet McGonagall told him off – or Evans did."

"Maybe…" James hesitated, and started to say something else, but he was interrupted by a shout.

"Potter!"

James leapt to his feet and turned around so quickly that he nearly fell over his chair.

"Evans!"

Lily looked at him coldly.

"What are you doing?"

"Talking," Sirius said cheerfully. "That's not against the rules yet, Evans, is it? Moony would surely have told us!"

"The two of you whispering together inevitably leads to something against the rules, Black. What are you doing?"

"Nothing," James insisted. "Just talking, Evans. Would you like to join us? I'm sure we're as much fun to talk to as Snivellus."

Lily scowled.

"All right, then, suit yourselves. But you had better not be planning anything vicious – and I _will _dock points when I find out!"

* * *

"Sev? _Sev?_ SEV!"

"Eh!" Snape said, jerking out of a daydream. "Lily! What's our first class?"

"Potions, but we have an hour till then. Let's go for a walk."

Snape got to his feet obediently and followed Lily out the front door.

"Have you noticed Potter and Black?" she demanded as soon as they were outside.

"Potter? Black? Not really –"

"They're planning something!"

Snape shrugged.

"They're always planning something. And it's the full moon soon, isn't it?"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come _on_, Sev. I know what you think –"

"No more thinking," said Snape in an oddly grim voice. "I am going to find out."

"What do you mean?" Lily demanded.

"I'm going to find out what they're doing!"

"Sev –"

"Don't worry!" Snape said cheerfully. "I know what I'm doing."

Lily frowned.

"Sev, if Black or Potter has said something –"

"Of course not," Snape said sharply.

"Well, I _know_ they're up to something – and I don't think you should try spying on them or anything like that!"

"Why?" Snape said angrily. "Because it's against your _Gryffindor_ sense of honour?"

"That's hardly the point!" Lily snapped. "Be sensible! Look, you know they're clever and if they've told you anything –"

"Nobody's told me –"

"They might be trying to lure you into doing something stupid!"

"I am not an idiot," Snape growled. "I won't let myself get _lured_ into anything."

Lily sighed.

"I didn't mean you were an idiot," she said quietly. "I just think you might be letting your dislike for Potter and Black get the better of your reason. Everyone in Gryffindor Tower knows that those four are always wandering around the castle after hours."

"And nobody wants to find out why? For all you know, _they_ might be spies for the Dark Lord."

"Don't be ridiculous," Lily said. "I'm sure Dumbledore would know if they were."

"Look, I just want to find out what they're doing."

"What are you going to do?"

Snape opened his mouth and then closed it again.

"If I don't tell you, you can tell Dumbledore honestly that you didn't know."

"Sev –"

"Just this once," Snape said.

Lily shook her head.

"I'm going inside."

* * *

Alice McKinnon joined Lily as she went up the path to the castle.

"How do you _stand_ him?" she asked softly, looking over her shoulder at where Snape sat looking at the lake with an expression that bordered on malevolent.

"He's my friend," Lily said mildly.

"Oh, come _on_," Alice protested. "You can't stand Black and Potter because of _their_ pranks – but Snape is worse! At least Black and Potter aren't evil."

"Severus isn't _evil_."

"I _know _he's an old friend of yours," Alice said. "But you know the people he hangs out with… Avery and Mulciber… and there were those Seventh-Years last year; all of them joined You-Know-Who as soon as they left!"

Lily shook her head firmly, but even she could not have said whether it was to persuade Alice or herself.

"He's my friend, Alice. Sometimes you just have to trust people."

"Do you remember what you were telling Remus Lupin last night?" Alice said quietly. "You should think about that too. Black and Potter aren't wonderful, I know – but neither is Snape."

Lily bit her lip, thinking.

"I know that," she said finally. "But I've known Severus for years… Ever since we were both kids and he was getting bullied by the Muggle children in the neighbourhood because they thought he was weird. I know how it feels… My sister's never forgiven me for being a witch."

"I understand," Alice said. "I went to a Muggle school till I was ten – and sometimes I did things I couldn't help – and, well, children can be cruel in the things they say. But you can't let your sympathy for the child he was blind you to the wizard he is becoming."

* * *

Good? Bad? Too dreadful to contemplate?


	5. The Night Begins

**DISCLAIMER:** If I owned it, I'd be rich, and I wouldn't be writing fan fiction!

Thanks to Macabre-Melody, Someone aka Me and silverbirch for reviewing - you guys are the best!

**Author's Note:** I planned to have this up a week ago but I've been so frightfully busy that I just couldn't manage it! However, I _will_ try to update weekly from now on – so please don't abandon me.

As always, opinions and advice are welcome!

* * *

**CHAPTER 5: THE NIGHT BEGINS **

"So what's the plan?" James asked on Wednesday afternoon, as he tilted his chair back and looked out the window at the grounds.

Sirius leaned over his shoulder, studying the plan of the castle that James had spread out on a table in the deserted Gryffindor Common Room. It was one they had copied from a book in the library, and so far it had proven useful in all their nocturnal wanderings.

"Do you want to try following this secret passage?" he asked, pointing. "It probably leads somewhere interesting considering how many gargoyles there are around the entrance."

"Too close to Dumbledore's study," Remus commented.

"_You_ won't have to use it, Moony," said James.

"All the same – I'm the one who's supposed to be keeping you two in line –"

"Keeping us in line?" Sirius gasped in mock-shock. "Is _that_ part of your prefect duties?"

"Aren't you proud, Padfoot?" James asked with a grin. "We've finally made McGonagall acknowledge our genius – there is a prefect with no duties other than counting the number of rules we break."

"They'd need to hire a Muggle scientist for that," Remus grumbled. "They're the only ones who know large enough numbers."

"Really?" Sirius said with interest. "What's the largest number you know, James?"

"How about three hundred and forty-two?"

"That's the largest number you know?" Peter asked in disbelief.

"Nope, that's the number of detentions I've got."

"And since we usually get multiple detentions every time we break a rule and McGonagall finds out –"

"And since she has found out about everything other than our monthly picnic –"

"And since even _James Potter_, who needs to count on his fingers to add two and two – _ow!_ – Prongs, get off! Moony, what are you doing? Stop him! You're a prefect! Surely choking people is against the rules! Ow! _Prongs!_"

"I'll tell you what," Remus said suddenly, completely ignoring Sirius, "you can try going down that secret passage if – _if_, Prongs – you think of a way to find out if anyone's coming so you can hide."

"We have the Invisibility Cloak, Moony," James protested. "We don't _need_ to hide. That's the _point_."

"Yeah, but none of us has grown any shorter since First Year – you know perfectly well it doesn't cover us that well any more, and even if it's just the three of you somebody is _bound_ to see a disembodied foot or an elbow or _something_."

"Prefect Moony," Peter said, chuckling.

"No, actually he's got a point," Sirius volunteered, sitting up and giving James a playful shove. "If we just had a way to know when someone was coming – just think how much _better_ our pranks could be. We could go right into Dumbledore's study when he was out, we could go into any of the Common Rooms if we just loitered outside until somebody came by with the password…It would be incredible."

"How about something like those new compasses we saw in Diagon Alley this time?" Peter asked. "The ones all the Quidditch teams are getting, that sound an alarm if one of the Bludgers is coming? We could modify that to stay alert for people –"

"And have it shriek and give us all away if Filch _did_ come by?" James said. "I think not! We'll have to think of something else."

"How about the map itself?" Sirius said, looking at the parchment with renewed interest. "We take it with us every time anyway. If we enchant it to show us where we are and who else is nearby –"

"Then one of us just needs to be looking at it by wandlight under the Cloak!" James said triumphantly. "That'll be brilliant."

"But that'll take time," Peter said. "It'll take us _days_ just to figure out how to do it."

"Time well spent," James said with a grin.

"Which is true," said Sirius, "but it doesn't answer your original question, Prongs. What are we going to do this time?"

Just then, they heard the sound of footsteps outside. There was a wild scramble as Remus hastily folded up the map and James and Sirius pulled a chessboard from under one of the chairs and set the chessmen on it haphazardly.

"Oi!" one of the black knights protested. "We're not in our starting positions."

"Shut up," James snapped, as Remus looked for a book that he could pretend to have been reading.

"Well, it says in the rulebook that all players must begin with –"

"Shut _up_," Sirius hissed, "or you're _all_ going straight into the fireplace."

"Well, if you put it _that_ way…"

"Password?" they heard the Fat Lady ask outside. Peter snatched up a quill and unrolled his Charms homework just as the portrait swung open and Lily came in.

"McGonagall's looking for you, Lupin," she said. "She said there's been some news from home."

"Oh." Remus got to his feet. "Er… Thanks, Evans. I'll just go see what she wants, then."

Lily nodded and stepped aside to let him out of the room. As she did, her glance fell on the chessboard between Sirius and James.

"You're playing chess in the middle of the _afternoon_?" she said in disbelief. "With the match against Slytherin next week? I'd've expected you to be out on the pitch every minute you could get."

"Strategy, Evans," James said brightly. "I'm just tuning my strategy. Now, suppose this bishop is one Chaser, and the two knights are the other two Chasers, and… er…this castle over here is a Bludger –"

"That's not fair!" one of the knights protested. "Why does _he_ get to be the Bludger? He was the Bludger when those Fourth-Years came in yesterday! _I_ want to be the Bludger!"

Lily shook her head.

"Whatever," she said as she left.

* * *

Snape was so excited he could hardly eat any dinner – and that was something that had not happened before. Ever.

Not being completely stupid, he _had_ paused to consider that Black was trying to lure him into trouble. But the opportunity to _finally_ show Black and Potter up for what they were was too much to pass up. In any case he doubted that Potter would try anything with the Quidditch match so close; he would not want to risk detention now.

He kept glancing at the Gryffindor table, where Black and Potter were deep in conversation, heads bent as they whispered together, and Pettigrew was watching them with an expression of mixed admiration and envy. There was no sign of Lupin.

"Ill mother, indeed," Snape muttered.

"What was that?" Avery grunted next to him.

"Nothing," Snape said softly. "I am going to make sure they get their comeuppance."

Avery followed Snape's gaze to the Gryffindor table.

"Black and Potter," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You can hardly believe they're purebloods… And, well, Potter is from a known family of blood traitors, but _Black_! I'm surprised they haven't disowned him yet."

Snape only nodded in response.

"You'd better be careful, though," Avery said unexpectedly.

"Careful? Don't worry, I won't let them trick me –"

"Don't mean Black and Potter," Avery said contemptuously. "Do you think anyone _cares_ how many detentions you get in school or who jinxed you outside the Transfiguration classroom? But I get the feeling you dislike Potter and his friends for the wrong reasons."

"Wrong reasons?" Snape said. "I cannot abide the Muggle-loving blood traitors who associate with Mudbloods and –"

"So do you, though, don't you?" Avery said softly. "Everyone talks about it, Snape. Everyone's seen you with Evans. You're in love with her."

"I am not –"

"It's all the same to me," Avery said, shrugging. "But the Dark Lord will not like it. She is a Mudblood."

"I do not love her!"

"We've all seen you," Avery said again. "If you desire her… Well, she's pretty enough. But you know perfectly well you can't marry her. The Dark Lord will not forgive it. Leave it to Muggle-lovers to marry Mudbloods and produce halfbreed children."

* * *

James glanced at Sirius, one eye on the clock.

"It's almost time," he said softly. "And there are still too many people."

Sirius looked around the Common Room.

"Look, if we can get right up next to the door, and then find some way to distract everyone, we can pull the Cloak over ourselves and be out before anyone notices."

"Ideas?"

"Dungbomb?" Peter suggested.

"Have you got one on you?" Sirius asked.

"No, but I can go up to the dormitory and –"

"No time," James said. "The moon's already out. We don't want to waste the night! Padfoot, there's your granddad playing bridge with those three wizards from Spain." He pointed at a picture nearby.

"He's not my granddad," Sirius said. "He is my _great _–"

"Yes, yes, that," James said. "You can draw us a family tree later. For now can you ask him to create a diversion?"

"He won't listen to me," Sirius grumbled.

"Of course he will," James said. "He always does, however much he complains about it."

Sirius shook his head and went to whisper to the painting.

James slid his Invisibility Cloak out of his bag and sidled over to the door. He was not nearly successful as he imagined, since practically everyone in the Common Room noticed him; this did not matter, since practically everyone in the Common Room decided that they did not _want_ to know.

James waited with his back to the portrait hole, assailed by a sudden feeling that something was going to go dreadfully wrong.

* * *

Well? What do you think? Please review!


	6. Empty Halls

**DISCLAIMER: **Jo owns it all!

Thanks to Someone aka Me, GreatMouseDetective, radish01, CwamBeta, Macabre-Melody, silverbirch and cherrycool for reviewing!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I _know_ I said a week, and I really am sorry… Real Life caught up with me in a big way. This last year was my first as a member of the world's workers, and so when the time came to fill up my tax forms – well, you can imagine the chaos that ensued! (I know, I know, always with the excuses!) But I'll definitely stick to schedule now - so forgive a poor author who was mired in paperwork!

Thank you all for staying with me, and please review!

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: EMPTY HALLS**

Snape lay awake in bed, listening to the even breathing that filled the dormitory. He had not planned to sleep that night, but he did not think it would have made a difference: he could not have slept if he had tried. He was far too excited.

He knew that it was foolish to go blundering into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest alone; it was forbidden for a _reason_, and even if Potter and his gang _were_ idiots, there were at least _four_ of them… Well, _three _of them, and Pettigrew, who only missed being classified as a Squib because the minimum requirement to be called a wizard, under Ministry guidelines, was the ability to make your wandtip glow.

Somehow he had not been able to make himself let anyone else in on his secret. There were plenty who would have accompanied him, and there was always safety in numbers…

But Snape wanted the glory. He wanted _all_ of it. When the blood traitors Potter and Black were expelled from Hogwarts, he, Severus Snape, wanted to be the sole cause. He had spent all his life in the shadows while others won praise and admiration, but this time would be different.

He heard the clock in the common room chime the hour; stealthily, he slipped out of bed and into his robes. The dormitory door made no sound as he pushed it open and went out into the dimly-lit staircase that led up to the common room. He ran up the stairs swiftly – Salazar Slytherin had understood the need to do things in secrecy; there were no vanishing steps or moving staircases in the Slytherin dungeons. There was no need. Slytherins had their own ways of identifying enemies.

He snuck into the common room, relieved to see that it was deserted.

"Up at this hour?" a thin, balding wizard asked from his portrait over the fireplace. "Isn't it a bit late? Avery and Crabbe went scouting at ten last Thursday night, but they said there was hardly anybody out… They had to settle for hexing a couple of Hufflepuff First Years – I'll venture _they_ won't be breaking curfew again in a hurry."

"I am going after someone who nearly always _is_ out of bed at this hour. Several someones."

"Ah," the portrait said, nodding cheerfully. "Black and Potter, I suppose? Sirius Black is a real trial to his family… Poor Phineas is always moaning about how he's bringing dishonour to the family name. Mind you, that Andromeda girl is going to turn out just as bad –"

"Later," Snape said curtly. "Time does not wait."

The wizard laughed with just a hint of malice.

"Time does not wait!" he chortled. "Worthy of Helga Hufflepuff, that comment! Onward, Severus! Onward, and death to the blood traitors!"

Snape shook his head as he went out and started up the stairs to the Entrance Hall. Despite himself, he could not keep his head from filling with images of Lily once she realized how terrible Potter was, how brave he, Snape, was, and how right he had been all along about those foul Gryffindor upstarts.

Smiling a smile that, a few years later, the students of Hogwarts would know and dread, he muttered, "_Lumos!_"

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was still in his office. It was late, but ever since he had accepted Remus Lupin as a student he had stayed awake through the night whenever there was a full moon. It was the least he could do for the parents whose children he was putting at risk, however slightly.

He knew that quite a few people had suspicions about Remus… The students of Hogwarts were children, but they were not idiots, and someone disappearing every full moon was not something that you could keep quiet forever. He knew also that several parents who had heard the rumours sent their children back to Hogwarts simply because Albus Dumbledore was Headmaster. It was a heavy burden to carry.

He looked out the window and saw Madam Pomfrey returning from the direction of the Forbidden Forest. So Lupin had, at least, been taken safely to the Willow.

Dumbledore heaved a sigh of relief as he turned back to the book he was reading.

But something continued to nag at his mind… Some foreboding that tonight's transformation would not go as smoothly as all the others had done. In his decades of teaching at Hogwarts Dumbledore had developed an instinct for detecting trouble, and his senses were jangling now.

He hesitated for a moment; then, picking up his wand, he went to meet Madam Pomfrey on her way upstairs.

* * *

"Padfoot, what are you planning?" James hissed, too softly for Peter to hear. He was scampering ahead of them in rat form; it was the only way to get through the corridors now that they had grown too tall for more than two of them to stay under the Cloak together.

Over the years James and Sirius, and to a lesser extent Remus, had grown into the habit of holding stressful discussions out of Peter's earshot; their friend did not take to them well. He had given them away in many of their pranks because his nerves had gone to pieces.

"You'll see," Sirius said, his eyes gleaming in the dark as they hurried through the empty corridors under the Cloak.

"Tell me."

They could still hear the shrieks and commotion from Gryffindor Tower; apparently when anyone even _remotely_ related to Sirius caused a diversion, it stayed caused.

"Relax, Prongs," Sirius whispered. "I know what I'm doing."

"But –"

"Don't you trust me?" Sirius asked, eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Don't be ridiculous," James said shortly.

He could not have said _why_ he was so insistent on knowing what Sirius had planned; he knew perfectly well that his friend would never do the things the Slytherins did, even if he was related to half of them. But ever since the odd sense of trouble had started nagging him in the common room, he had been uncomfortable about the night's adventure.

"We'll be _fine_, Prongs," Sirius said. "You're starting to worry as much as Moony – maybe it's premature aging."

"Mr. Prongs would like to point out that he is five months _younger_ than Mr. Padfoot –"

"Mr. Padfoot reminds Mr. Prongs that _age_ is simply a state of mind."

"Then clearly Mr. Padfoot _cannot_ age, since he hasn't a mind."

"Is Mr. Prongs acquainted with the meaning of the word _git_?"

"Mr. Prongs wants to –"

"_SHUT UP!_" a portrait roared suddenly. "We want to sleep, even if you don't. Go marauding if you must, but if you make _any_ more noise we will call the Headmaster. He's awake, you know!"

Suddenly silent, Sirius and James stole through the castle in the wake of the soft scurrying noise that was Peter.

* * *

Snape waited until Madam Pomfrey had vanished up the staircase leading to the classrooms and the Headmaster's office. Then, keeping to the shadows, he tiptoed into the Entrance Hall.

He drew back the bolt on the huge front doors and went out. His first reaction was to shiver. The night air was nippy, and he had not thought to bring a cloak.

He shut the door behind him as he went outside. The moon had risen; it hung round and yellow and oddly eerie in the sky. Snape hesitated briefly, listening. Sound carried far on the still air, and he could hear eldritch howls and shrieks from the Forbidden Forest… He suddenly remembered all the stories of the kinds of creatures that lived there, and he very nearly turned back and went to bed.

Nearly… But this might be his only chance to show Black and Potter up, and he was not about to squander it.

* * *

Dumbledore's office was not quite empty. Fawkes the phoenix fluttered lazily from his perch to the windowsill to help himself to acid pops from a bowl.

Fawkes paused in the act of biting an acid pop in half when he saw a lone, black-clad figure walking down the path to the Forbidden Forest. From this distance the phoenix could not tell who it was, but it was easy to tell who it was _not_. It was not Albus Dumbledore, who was the only resident of the castle who could safely go in the direction of the Forest on a full moon night.

In a sudden flash, Fawkes vanished.

* * *

Well? What do you think? I've been having a nagging doubt that I tend to spend more time on what characters are thinking than on what they are doing... Does this story need more action?

Please review!


	7. Students Out of Bed

**DISCLAIMER:** Nothing is mine!

Thanks to vjones, silverbirch, Olympia, Someone aka Me, cherrycool, Macabre-Melody and MouldyBreadForVoldy for reviewing. I've replied as I could.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **And finally it's up! Please review – the comments make my day! Concrit welcome.

* * *

**CHAPTER 7: STUDENTS OUT OF BED**

"Do you hear something?" James hissed suddenly.

Sirius stopped to listen. They could hear the complaints of the portraits who were woken by Madam Pomfrey's lantern as she made her way upstairs, but that was normal. There was also –

"Someone in the Entrance Hall," Sirius murmured. "Shall we go check?"

"No! It might be Dumbledore, and I'll bet you a hundred Galleons to a fake Knut he can see through Invisibility Cloaks. Go see who it is, Wormtail."

They waited in the darkness of the landing while Peter scurried down the stairs into the Entrance Hall. James shifted uncomfortably, trying to peer through the shadows.

"Stop fidgeting, Prongs," Sirius muttered. "You're getting as bad as Wormtail. We're going to be fine."

"I don't like this," James repeated stubbornly. "When have we ever heard noises in the Entrance Hall after Madam Pomfrey's gone back to the hospital wing? If you'd just tell me what you're planning…"

"I want it to be a surprise."

"Padfoot –"

"Oh, stop it!" Sirius snapped. "Anyone would think you suspected me of being a Death Eater like dear Cousin Bellatrix! I know what I'm doing!"

Just as James was about to reply, Peter came back and flicked his tail. In an uncomfortable silence, James and Sirius followed him downstairs and through the Entrance Hall, which was lit faintly by the moonlight pouring from the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall. James was trying to think of all the things that could possibly go wrong, and Sirius was fuming, and so neither of them said a word as they went outside and pulled the door shut behind them.

* * *

"Headmaster!" Madam Pomfrey said in some surprise, having nearly walked into him.

"Poppy." Dumbledore raised his hat courteously. "I trust everything went well? There were no problems?"

"None at all, Headmaster. I took Lupin down to the Shrieking Shack as usual and he seemed quite all right. A bit nervous, for some reason, but I suppose that's natural – the transformation can't be easy on him."

"You are quite sure he is safely inside?"

"Of course. I saw to it. He won't be able to get out until I go back for him in the morning."

Dumbledore frowned.

"Then all should be well."

"Is something wrong, Headmaster?"

"To the best of my knowledge, nothing. And yet… I do not feel entirely at ease, Poppy. Something is amiss. I can sense it."

"Perhaps something else?" Madam Pomfrey asked. "Potter and Black haven't done anything _really_ outrageous for a few days. It's too much to hope that they've decided to behave themselves; they might be planning something."

"Perhaps – but I doubt it," Dumbledore replied, smiling slightly under his moustache. "If I could sense James and Sirius getting up to mischief I would have known better than to be the first to enter the Great Hall for dinner last Hallowe'en."

"Do you want to do a round of the Common Rooms and dormitories, Head Master?"

"An admirable idea, Poppy. If, as you say, Remus is safely in the Shrieking Shack, then there is no need to worry about him. And I regret to say that these dark times have changed Hogwarts as well – the students are not safe, even from each other."

Madam Pomfrey nodded.

"Why don't you visit the Slytherin and Hufflepuff Common Rooms, Headmaster? I'll go up to Gryffindor Tower and then check on the Ravenclaws."

* * *

Snape could scarcely contain his eagerness. He was practically running as he made his way to the Whomping Willow, his robes billowing behind him, bat-like. He knew vaguely that the consequences of the night's outing were unlikely to be entirely good; the Dark Lord would have his own views, especially if – _when_ – he found out that it was not entirely hatred for werewolves and blood traitors that made Snape so eager to expose Potter and his gang.

Snape was willing to risk it. He could remember a time when he and Lily had been such good friends, when he had truly had hope that someday they might be something more.

But it was not _only_ because of Lily. Snape's grouse against James Potter and Sirius Black went much deeper than that. They were purebloods, both of them, the one thing he was not and could never be.

No matter how much the followers of the Dark Lord cursed the name of Potter for its long-standing association with Muggle-lovers, no matter how much his Slytherin companions laughed at James Potter and his ridiculous obsession with Lily Evans, the fact remained that James Potter was a pureblood, and was therefore by the Slytherins' definition a far better wizard than Snape could ever hope to be, if wrong-headed and foolish.

Snape knew perfectly well that the Malfoys and Blacks and Lestranges had far more regard for James Potter than for him, no matter what he did to prove himself just as clever, just as able, and just as skilled a wizard. He knew that while the Dark Lord would kill _him_ at the slightest hint of perfidy, James Potter would be offered a chance to join the Death Eaters – maybe more than one – _despite_ his avowed hatred of their cause, simply because his family had had a vault at Gringott's for centuries.

But if there was one thing the Dark Lord disliked more than Mudbloods, it was halfbreeds. If Snape could only prove that Lupin was a werewolf and that Potter and Black, far from exterminating him as was proper, were abetting him and joining in his play…

Something heavy caught him around the middle and flung him into the air. He fell to the ground hard and groaned. He had been so busy imagining the terrible things the Dark Lord would do to Potter that he had walked right into the Whomping Willow.

* * *

Professor Dumbledore, having checked the last Hufflepuff dormitory and ascertained that all the students were sound asleep in their beds, returned to the Common Room and looked around.

All was well, here at least. There were still the Slytherin dungeons to check, but it was practically impossible for an intruder to enter those. It was said that Salazar Slytherin himself had not been able to remember all the traps and snares he had laid for the unwary trespasser.

There was a sudden flash of bright, fiery light, which faded to a dim glow. Dumbledore stared.

"Fawkes! What is it?"

The phoenix let out a single note.

"You want me to come with you? Let me look in on the Slytherins first, just to be safe."

The phoenix seemed almost to scowl at him. Dumbledore opened his mouth to say something else, but he was interrupted by the entry of Madam Pomfrey, as breathless and disheveled as though she had _run_ all the way from Gryffindor Tower.

"Poppy?"

"Gone," she gasped between breaths. "All gone – out of their beds. I don't know where –"

"_Who?_"

"Potter – Black – Pettigrew. They may just be up to mischief as usual but this _is_ the full moon – and we don't know if Lupin's told them. They may try something foolish."

"James and Sirius? I have no doubt that they _will_ try something foolish. Hurry."

* * *

"Padfoot? Who's that?"

It was the first time James had spoken since they had left the building. Sirius was still furious at what he saw as his friend's lack of trust, but his satisfaction at having succeeded in drawing Snape out overcame his pride enough for him to say, "_Snivellus._"

"He's…" James squinted. "He's trying to poke the Willow with something. Do you think he's trying to get inside?"

"Could be," Sirius said nonchalantly.

"But how could he – no." He turned to stare at Sirius under the Cloak. "You didn't. Please tell me you didn't."

"I told him," Sirius said, grinning proudly. "Of course I did. Come on, Prongs, don't scowl at me like that – you look like Moony. You know he's going to try to poke the knot and make a mess of it as usual, and even if he _does_ manage to get through the tunnel he'll see the werewolf and run for his life. It's a sight that might never be seen again."

"Are you _mad_? What if he realizes it's Moony?"

"How can he? No way he'll know."

"He might get himself killed!"

"Moony's safe enough –"

"Snivellus isn't an Animagus, you idiot! Not that we know, anyway! Moony won't be safe around him."

As they watched, Snape managed to prod the trunk and the Willow calmed down. He disappeared into the tunnel.

James threw the Cloak off and started to run.

"Prongs!" Sirius yelled. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Stopping him! We can't let _that_ happen to anyone – not even Snivellus – although Merlin knows that if anyone deserves it, he does!"

"Prongs!" Sirius started to run after his friend. "Don't be thick! The Willow will be Whomping again by the time you get there! Prongs, you _git_, stop! Don't do it! He isn't worth risking your life! Damn it, where's Wormtail? Wormtail!"

James ignored him, throwing one glance over his shoulder to make sure nobody was watching before he transformed into a stag in mid-stride, loping towards the Forbidden Forest with a speed Sirius knew that he would not be able to match even in dog form.

"Wormtail!"

Peter appeared suddenly in front of him.

"Run!"

Sirius grabbed his arm and dragged him along as he practically hurtled down the slope.

* * *

Well? What do you think? Please review!


	8. The Willow

**DISCLAIMER:** Jo owns it all.

Thanks to silverbirch, Someone aka Me, Macabre-Melody and Sirius Black for reviewing. You guys are the greatest!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** More things are happening… Please let me know what you think!

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: THE WILLOW**

Snape could scarcely believe his luck. He was nearly at the Whomping Willow and Potter and his insufferable friends were nowhere in sight – unless they were already inside the tunnel. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearly midnight.

He paused, just out of reach of the Willow's branches, and listened. Even over the din caused by the flailing limbs of the tree he could hear the howls of the werewolves in the Forbidden Forest – and, with a shiver, he realized that one seemed much nearer than the others.

He gripped his wand firmly, reminding himself, as he had had to do _far_ too many times that evening, that he was a far better and cleverer wizard than James Potter, and that if Potter made a habit of wandering around in the grounds on full moon nights and managed not to get hurt, he could do it as well.

Snape looked around for something to poke the Willow with, and spotted a long, slightly crooked branch lying on the ground a few yards away. He retrieved it and leaned forward, trying to discern the knothole that Black had told him about. He could see nothing, even in the bright moonlight, and it crossed his mind once again that this might be some elaborate prank…

But no. If there was the chance, even the _slightest_ chance, that he could get Potter and Black expelled, he could not give it up now. The hard part was over; he was out of the building and in the grounds. And Snape knew that for all their vaunted Gryffindor courage Potter and his friends would not dare do him any lasting physical damage no matter _how_ much they disliked him; they would be too terrified of what Dumbledore would say.

Drawing in a deep breath, Snape decided that he would just have to keep prodding the Willow whenever he could get his arm in without having it taken off. He was bound to hit on the right place eventually.

It sounded like an excellent plan inside his head, but Snape had barely put it in practice for a minute when he realized that it was not going to work. The Willow was simply too large and it was shoving him and his stick away with a force that, despite his care, was bruising.

He lit his wand and let the light play over the Willow, walking around it to try to spot something –

Then he saw it.

"Finally," Snape muttered, waiting for a gap to open in the thrashing branches. He saw it, reached forward and tapped the knot with the stick. Then he shut his eyes, waiting for a branch to come crashing into him.

Nothing happened.

Snape opened his eyes again, cautiously. The tree was silent, still. Dimly, he heard shouting from somewhere behind him. He ignored it. Nothing mattered now except _catching_ Potter.

With a smile of triumph, Snape slipped into the tunnel.

* * *

James galloped down the slope, knowing vaguely that Sirius and Peter were somewhere behind him and that neither of them could keep up with him in stag form. At some level he knew it was madness; he would have to freeze the Willow quickly and then chase Snape down the tunnel in human form; if the greasy git realized he was an unregistered Animagus he was _bound_ to find a way to get them all expelled and probably thrown in Azkaban.

At some level he could not believe that he was about to risk his life for Severus Snape.

At some level he knew that he _had_ to because, distasteful though it was to risk meeting a werewolf while he was still in human form just to get that slimy, interfering Slytherin out of trouble, he could not let _anybody_ get bitten and possibly killed while he stood by doing precisely nothing – it would make him just as bad as the Slytherins who went around using dark magic on Muggle-borns.

He _had_ to stop Snape, partly because of that, and partly because if Snape _did_ get bitten the consequences for Remus, and possibly for Sirius, would be disastrous. The Ministry was not kind to werewolves and would have absolutely no sympathy for a werewolf who had bitten someone. It would be the end of any hope Remus had of being able to lead a normal life.

As for Sirius…The Black name was enough to make most people suspect him of having clandestine links with Voldemort. If something happened to Snape, if anybody ever found out what Sirius had done… James knew perfectly well that Sirius had only meant it for a joke and that it had not even _struck_ him that someone might get hurt because of it. Somehow, he did not think the Ministry would see it that way.

James had to do this, because he _had_ to help his friends.

James risked one glance over his shoulder and saw two figures galloping down the slope at breakneck speed – but they had already fallen behind. He thought he saw the front door of the castle being pushed open, and had he been in human form he would have bitten his lip.

Someone coming out – now – could _not_ be a good sign. It was quite likely that Snape had tipped one of his Slytherin friends off to follow them outside. But there was nothing he could do about it.

James saw the Willow ahead of him and transformed back to human form. He looked about wildly for something to poke the Willow with but there was nothing in sight; Snape had dropped his branch on his way in and it had been smashed to bits as soon as the Willow had unfrozen.

He looked back at Sirius and Peter. They would be here very soon – but it would not take Snape long to get through the tunnel, and by the time they got here and Peter froze the Willow it might be too late to stop him.

Summoning all his courage, James waited for a gap and then leapt in the direction of the trunk.

* * *

"Prongs!" Sirius yelled desperately when he saw James jump at the Willow without poking the knot first. "Prongs, what do you think you're doing? Even _Snivellus_ wasn't that thick! _Prongs!_"

He ran even faster, despite Peter's protests that he could not keep up and it would not help their friend if they both broke their necks.

"This is not the time to be sensible," Sirius roared. "We have to help Prongs."

"I'm sure he knows what he's doing –"

"Of course he doesn't know what he's doing! Do you think he _planned_ for the Willow to toss him about like that? He just ran ahead and dived right into the thick of it without a plan – Prongs, you _git_. Wait!"

"Someone's coming," Peter yelped suddenly, looking back along the path. "Padfoot, it's _Dumbledore_."

Sirius whirled just in time to see the Headmaster raise his wand and point it at the Willow. A jet of red light shot out and streaked through the night, at once freezing the tree and flinging James away from it. Sirius pulled out his own wand – but James scrambled to his feet at once, took one look back in Sirius' direction, and leapt head-first into the tunnel.

"_Prongs!_"

Sirius and Peter were at the Willow now, and Sirius had one foot in the tunnel when there was a sudden flash of light and a blast of warm air, and he found himself sprawled on the ground several yards away. Peter was still standing next to the tunnel entrance, looking with terrified indecision from Sirius, now getting back to his feet, to Dumbledore, who was approaching with wand raised and looking more formidable than Sirius would have thought possible.

Sirius made another dive for the tunnel, only one thought in his head – whatever was happening between the werewolf and the humans, he could not let his friend face the danger alone. But he was flung away again.

"Get back!" Dumbledore shouted as soon as he was within earshot. "And stay back!"

"We'll be expelled," Peter whimpered as they watched Dumbledore approach. "This time we _have_ gone too far."

* * *

James neither knew nor cared what was happening above the ground. He saw Snape's retreating back and ran towards it, shouting for the Slytherin to stop.

Snape threw him a glance and doubled his pace, but James was not Gryffindor's star seeker for nothing. With a burst of speed, he threw himself forward, cannoning into Snape and bearing them both to the ground.

"You can't go on," he gasped. "It's too dangerous –"

"Dangerous? For _you_, perhaps," Snape snarled, shoving James off him. "But I tell you, Potter, I plan to follow this through to its logical conclusion –"

"You really don't want to do that," James said.

"You think you can save your own skin –"

"_Listen_ to me, you git, I'm trying to help you for once. You shouldn't go to the Shrieking Shack – we shouldn't even _be_ here now. It's much too dangerous. Let's go."

He grabbed Snape's arm and tried to pull him back, but released him with a yelp when Snape shot sparks at his hand.

"Snape, you _idiot_! Listen to me, we have to go back. This isn't safe."

Very unfortunately, there was a sudden crashing noise from the direction of the Shrieking Shack at that precise moment.

"Whatever it is you are hiding there, Potter," Snape said softly, "I intend to find out what it is."

Pushing past James, he ran down the tunnel.

* * *

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	9. The Werewolf

**DISCLAIMER:** Not mine! Not mine!

Thanks to silverbirch, awaylaughingonafastcamel, MouldyBreadForVoldy and Macabre-Melody for reviewing.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **This chapter was meant to be up last week, but was not letting me upload documents for some reason – and then I went off on a holiday to one of the few remaining places on earth with no cell phone connectivity and no Internet. It was brilliant. :)

This is a shorter chapter, but (I think!) a more intense one; let me know how you like it!

* * *

**CHAPTER 9: THE WEREWOLF**

Professor Dumbledore came to a halt in front of the two terrified Gryffindors. He spared a glance for Madam Pomfrey, several yards behind him, before he turned the full force of his gaze on Sirius and Peter.

"That was James?"

"You have to stop him!" Sirius said. "He's gone in after Sniv – I mean, Snape. I tried to stop him but the git just _wouldn't_ listen to me!"

Dumbledore surveyed Sirius and Peter over the top of his half-moon spectacles before he nodded curtly.

"Yes, I would say the most pressing matter is to get James _and_ Severus out of the tunnel safely. After that I think I will be seeing all four of you in my office."

He strode towards the tunnel opening, followed by Sirius and – more willingly now that Dumbledore was with them to handle any calamities – Peter.

* * *

James caught up with Snape and tackled him again. The thumping and growling sounds from ahead stopped suddenly, and James hastily pulled out his wand, holding it in front of him.

"Get back," he hissed. "_Now._"

"No," Snape said calmly.

He tried to push past James again, but this time the Gryffindor was ready. He shoved Snape back, pinning him to the wall.

"I really ought to just _leave_ you here, Snivellus, but there are some fates I would not wish _even_ on you. Now listen. We are going back. It would be best if you came quietly but if I have to Stun you I will do it."

James was interrupted by a low growl. He whirled, wand raised, and pushed Snape further back, trying to block his view. But there was no further noise, and no werewolf appeared in the tunnel opening. Without a word, James tugged at Snape's arm, trying to drag him back in the direction of the Willow. Snape frowned at him and pulled away, but some instinct for self-preservation kept him from saying anything and the boys' tussle was entirely silent.

James was more scared than he liked to admit even to himself. He was sure the werewolf had heard them, and he was not particularly eager to meet it while still in human form.

There was another growl, followed by a loud thump.

James did not even wait to see what it was. He threw himself to the ground, dragging Snape with him, raised his wand and yelled, "_Stupefy!_"

* * *

Remus was fully aware of what he was doing. He could see and he could hear, and more than anything he could _smell_. He could smell far more acutely than any human being could possible imagine. There were smells he could identify that humans didn't even know _existed_.

But he had about as much control over what he was doing as if he had been Imperiused by Voldemort himself; when the wolf instincts took over, he could only watch helplessly. Any attempts to intervene – to control his actions as a human would – were promptly overridden by the feral impulses bred into the wolf.

He smelt the approaching humans – and he knew that one of them was James, although he could not identify the second. He could tell that James was not in stag form; there was something strongly _human_ about his friend's scent.

Desperately, Remus tried to distract himself.

_Humans…_

_Walls. Chair. Bed. Door._

_Humans…_

Remus tried directing his body to gnaw on one of the chair legs. His body ignored him, focused on one thing only. He heard a soft sound and he knew he had growled.

_Chair! Bed! Damn it! Window! I should get Pomfrey to leave me some raw steak at night! No, don't think about steak... Look around for something else – not there, that's the tunnel! Not there!_

_Human blood…_

_NO!_ Remus struggled as he had never done before, pacing the room silently as he tried to force his mind off the scent that was getting disconcertingly strong.

He suddenly found himself near the tunnel opening.

_No! No! Get back!_

He could see James and _Snape!_ What on earth was _Snape_ doing here? They seemed to be arguing…

_TWO humans…_

_NO! Get back! Now! Now, damn it!_

Remus could not help himself. He growled and lunged. Fortunately the tunnel opening was a little too narrow for a fully grown werewolf mid-leap, and he fell to the ground hard.

Growling again, he got to his feet.

* * *

James looked up to see that his Stunner had missed completely. The werewolf looked like it had hit the wall, and now it was getting to its feet. It did not even seem to be hurt, just angry. He raised his wand again, pointing it directly at the werewolf this time.

"_Stupefy!_"

The force of the spell was enough to knock Remus – no, the _werewolf_, James told himself firmly, you can't hurt your friend but you can Stun a werewolf – back a few feet, but it did not knock him – _it_ – out, although he – _it_ – seemed a bit disorientated when it got up again.

James pushed Snape behind him and slowly backed down the tunnel. The werewolf was not attacking now; it seemed to be considering them. It was standing in the tunnel opening, its eyes gleaming in the light from the wand tip, growling softly deep in its throat.

James knew that look. He had seen it before, when they had been in Hogsmeade one full moon night, just before a villager had staggered out of the Hog's Head. It had been a close call; he and Sirius had had to grapple with Remus to keep him out of sight. Fortunately the wizard had been too drunk to notice the eyes gleaming in the dark, just like the eyes were gleaming now.

"Run," he breathed, not daring to take his eyes off the werewolf. If Snape went he could transform and perhaps wrestle Remus back into the Shack. "_Run!_"

Before Snape could comply the werewolf reared and leapt. James raised his wand.

Just then there was a shout from behind him, and a jet of blue light shot over their heads. It flung the werewolf back into the Shrieking Shack, and a heavy-looking oak wardrobe appeared in the tunnel entrance. They heard the thumping as the werewolf flung itself against the wardrobe.

James turned slowly, and saw Dumbledore, with Sirius close on his heels. The look in the old headmaster's eyes was not the gentle affection James knew so well. He looked formidable – and he looked _angry_.

"I will see you in my office," he said quietly. "_Now._"

* * *

Review please!


	10. In the Headmaster's Office

**DISCLAIMER:** You know the drill. All of this belongs to the rich lady in Britain.

Thanks to MouldyBreadForVoldy, silverbirch, awaylaughingonafastcamel, Someone aka Me (and again :)), Macabre-Melody and anon (thanks for the tip) for reviewing.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** No action in this chapter… But it was fun to write! Tell me what you think – feedback is much appreciated.

* * *

**CHAPTER 10: IN THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE**

Sirius and James were silent as they followed Dumbledore back to the castle, each lost in his own thoughts. James, now that the adrenaline had worn off, could hardly believe that he had risked his own life to help, of _all_ people, Severus Snape. And the git hadn't even been grateful!

Sirius's mind was in turmoil. He was relieved – _very_ relieved – that his friend was safe, he was furious with James for plunging into the tunnel without stopping to think and giving him the fright of his life, and he was livid with himself for having brought this all about to begin with.

Dumbledore was angrier than Sirius had ever seen him, and it seemed like a very real possibility that they might all be expelled. Personally, he did not particularly care if he _was_ expelled, and he knew James would get along one way or another. But Peter _would_ care.

As for Remus… It was just sinking in what consequences his friend might face if word of the night's events ever reached anyone at the Ministry. Unlike James and Sirius, Remus was not from an old and wealthy wizarding family. Even if James and Sirius _were_ expelled, there were plenty of wizards and witches, even in the Ministry, who considered the names Potter and Black as good a qualification as a full complement of Outstanding NEWTs. If even _that_ failed, there were vaults at Gringott's to supply them, and they would take care of Peter, too.

But Remus was too proud to take gold from anybody, even his best friends, and Sirius realized with a thrill of dread that he might have done irreparable damage to his friend's career prospects.

He also realized – a darker thought that he was trying to push away – that it was only because of _extremely_ good fortune and Dumbledore's timely arrival that James was not lying hurt – or worse – either beside or under the Whomping Willow. Sirius had always prided himself on being _different_ from the rest of his family. When his mother had pointed out to him that he had been given just as many detentions as Bellatrix for tormenting people, Sirius had said dismissively, "That's different – mine are just pranks. Nobody actually gets _hurt_."

The night's events could so easily have changed that.

The night's events, he admitted to himself with a deep sigh, still might.

"Padfoot," James murmured, very softly. Sirius turned to his best friend questioningly. "Don't worry. We'll be fine."

James did not sound as though he entirely believed that himself, but Sirius was grateful nonetheless.

* * *

Snape could not keep a spring from his step. He knew that he was in trouble – a _lot_ of trouble. He had no proof that Black had told him anything, and Dumbledore would have seen no more than Potter chasing him down the tunnel trying to save him from the werewolf.

But there _had_ been a werewolf. He had been right. He, Severus Snape, miserable half-blood, laughed at by everyone, had been _right_, and James Potter and Sirius Black, members of two of the oldest – and, as far as Slytherin House was concerned, the most respected – families in the wizarding world, were harbouring a werewolf.

It did not matter if he was expelled. If that was the price of proving to everybody – proving to Lily – how objectionable Potter and Black really were, then it was worth it.

His mind began to fill with visions… Lily, looking at him with awe, much as she had done when he had first told her about the wizarding world all those years ago. Lily filled with revulsion for Potter and Black when she found out that they had been abetting a werewolf. The Dark Lord greeting him, welcoming him as a lieutenant every bit as able and trustworthy as Bellatrix Black or Lucius Malfoy. Lesser servants of the Dark Lord watching him with envy as he took his rightful, hard-earned place at their master's side…

Severus Snape was content.

* * *

"Liquorice wand," Dumbledore said. The gargoyle sprang aside at once.

Another time Sirius would have filed the information away for future use – he and James had learnt from experience that Dumbledore was a better sport than most of the teachers, although he _did_ have his own ways of keeping his office prank-free. But this time he simply could not muster the enthusiasm or the will. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that James had not perked up noticeably either.

The four of them followed Dumbledore into his office, standing in a silent row in front of his desk. Dumbledore sat down and rested his hands on the desk, looking from one of them to the other without saying a word. Sirius felt himself growing increasingly nervous.

"Clearly," Dumbledore said finally, "there is something of which I should be aware. Now, I know that it is impossible to expect all of you to agree on the facts of what happened. I will therefore listen to each of you, one at a time. When one of you is speaking, the others will not interrupt. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

They nodded, even Snape looking a little daunted.

"Good. Mr Snape, you may begin."

Snape plunged into his narrative eagerly.

"They tricked me, Professor Dumbledore – Potter and Black and Pettigrew and Lupin. A few days ago Black encouraged me to visit the Whomping Willow tonight at midnight. He told me to prod the knot on the trunk with a long stick. I thought – that is – I realized tonight what was in the Shrieking Shack. Clearly they were trying to have me killed by their friend."

"I see," Dumbledore said expressionlessly. "Mr Black told you to prod the knot on the Whomping Willow with a long stick, without giving you any hint of what would be waiting for you in the Shrieking Shack?"

"Yes, sir. Black told me, but I know they were all in it together."

Dumbledore ignored the last part of Snape's remark, asking instead, "And you, despite knowing that the rules explicitly dictate that students must not leave their Common Rooms, and certainly not leave the castle, after nine o'clock, obligingly followed the suggestion."

Snape flushed, but he said resolutely, "I thought it might be a matter of importance." Sirius had to admire him. Had Dumbledore been giving _him_ that penetrating look over the top of his spectacles, Sirius would have confessed to every crime he had ever committed, including putting a Flobberworm down his Great-Uncle Phaeton's neck when he was four.

"I see," Dumbledore said again.

Snape's flush deepened.

"They were out of bed too!" he burst out.

"I am aware of that, Mr Snape," the Headmaster said. "I will discuss their actions with them in a moment. At the moment I am discussing _your_ actions with _you_. Have you anything further to say?"

Snape swallowed.

"No, sir."

Dumbledore sighed.

"You would make this so much easier for everyone if you would be open, Severus. I have a far better idea of what happens in this school than most people realize. I know, therefore, that there is no love lost between yourself and Mr Black. It is highly unlikely that you would do anything because he asked you to."

"He _did_ ask me –"

Dumbledore held up a hand.

"I do not dispute that. Very well, so Mr. Black asked you to go to the Whomping Willow tonight, prod the knot on the trunk and follow the tunnel. That does not explain why you did it."

Snape's face was the same colour as a phoenix's plumage.

"Severus?" Dumbledore prompted.

"I _knew_ Lupin was a werewolf," Snape growled suddenly. "Or at least – I guessed. I knew he had to be one, disappearing every month; he must have thought we were all idiots. _You_ must have thought we were all idiots. You've been putting us all in danger for the sake of –"

"Thank you, Mr. Snape," Dumbledore said quietly. "I believe I understand."

Snape fell silent, glowering. Sirius shifted uncomfortably, and felt James doing the same. What would happen to Remus now?

Dumbledore turned to James.

"Mr. Potter?"

James opened his mouth, and Sirius knew that whatever he did, he would not give his friend away. He would take as much blame as Sirius, and later say something ridiculously stupid about honour – something ridiculously _Gryffindor_ about honour, as any other member of the Black family would describe it.

"No," Sirius said without thinking. James and Dumbledore both turned to look at him, Dumbledore frowning slightly.

"Mr. Black, I believe I said –"

"No – let me go first, Professor. Pro – that is – James'll try to make out that it's his fault and it isn't, really. He had nothing to do with it, he didn't even know until just now –"

"Very nice," Snape spat. "Lying to protect your friend. Or is it because you don't want him to be banned from _another_ Quidditch match?"

"I'm telling the truth, you grea – Sniv – _Snape_," Sirius snapped, managing to make the last word sound like the direst of insults.

"Enough," Dumbledore said. "You have already told me your side of it, Severus, and if you have any objections to what Sirius has to say, you may make them _after_ he has finished."

"But he's _lying_," Snape said, sounding outraged. "He's lying to get Potter out of trouble!"

"I will be the judge of that," Dumbledore said calmly.

"IT'S NOT FAIR," Snape bellowed. "YOU ALWAYS LISTEN TO THEM!"

With that, he turned on his heel and made for the door.

* * *

Ummm... On second thoughts, it seems a bit disjointed. But somehow I can't fix it. What do you think? Please review!


	11. What You Cannot Understand

**DISCLAIMER:** If _only _I owned it!

Thanks to silverbirch, Macabre-Melody, FFan Man, MouldyBreadForVoldy, awaylaughingonafastcamel and Someone aka Me for reviewing.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** It's been two weeks, and this is a shorter chapter… I'm terribly sorry. I have only this excuse: I work in finance and I have had a _very_ rough week – barely a year after joining the ranks of the employed I am in serious danger of being told to leave them.

For that reason an update next week is uncertain; please bear with me.

And now on with the story…

* * *

**CHAPTER 11: WHAT YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND**

James and Sirius exchanged a glance, but neither said anything as Snape stormed out – or attempted to. He found the door locked, stalked back to Dumbledore's desk with an expression far more malevolent than the most ferocious werewolf could have produced, and glared around at everyone.

"I am sorry, Severus," the Headmaster said. "I cannot allow you to leave until this has been sorted out."

"But –"

"Mr. Black, continue."

Sirius looked up.

"I told Snape how to get past the Willow," he admitted.

"Why?"

"He... I – I didn't want anyone to get _hurt_!" Sirius looked at Dumbledore hoping to see sympathy but found nothing. "He's been trying to find out what we get up to and get us in trouble – he's done it for years but this time…"

"Yes, Mr. Black? What was different this time?"

"I don't know," Sirius said slowly. "I met Sniv – Snape – on my way back to Gryffindor Tower and we got into an argument and I just thought it would be funny to tell him how to get past the Willow."

"You thought it would be funny."

Sirius flushed furiously.

"I didn't think he would be in any _danger_ – I thought the worst that would happen would be that he'd see Remus in wolf form and get scared and run."

"And what were the three of you doing outdoors?"

"I – we – I took James and Peter there because I thought it would be fun to watch him – Snape – but I didn't tell them, Professor Dumbledore. Neither of them knew anything about it."

Snape rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

Professor Dumbledore sighed.

"I must confess myself disappointed, Sirius. High spirits I can understand, but this was a foolish and dangerous prank."

"Yes, Professor."

"Severus, I will say no more to you. I believe I know exactly why you chose to follow Mr. Black's suggestion and go to the Willow tonight. I will warn you, however, that you are at a crucial moment in your life. Make your choices carefully, if you do not want to regret them at a later date."

Snape nodded, his face unreadable.

"I must also ask you not to speak of tonight's events outside this room. I have chosen to trust Remus, but the parents of many of your fellow-students would be understandably… worried… if they learnt that their children lived in close proximity with a werewolf."

Snape nodded again.

"I have your word?"

"Yes, Professor," the Slytherin said grudgingly.

"Very well, then, Severus. If you wish, you may now leave. You will not be punished for tonight's misadventure, but I encourage you to give some serious thought to what you plan to do once you leave Hogwarts. I will speak to you again after you have had leisure to consider your future."

Without a word, Snape went to the door and wrenched it open. He left, letting it slam behind him, and Dumbledore turned back to Sirius.

"Go on. You took your friends to the Willow tonight to see Mr. Snape chased back to Hogwarts by a ravening werewolf."

Sirius opened his mouth to protest, and then decided against it and continued his explanation.

"I – Snape got out ahead of us; we saw him and James guessed what I'd done. And then he ran after Snape to stop him, and we ran after James because we couldn't let him go into the tunnel alone. And then _you_ came, Professor."

"Yes," the Headmaster said quietly. "So I did." He looked down at his hands for a moment. "Mr. Pettigrew?"

"Y-yes, Professor?" Peter squeaked.

"You may leave."

His relief palpable, Peter nearly ran from the room.

"As you know," Dumbledore said, not raising his head, "I am very fond of you both. You are an exceptionally intelligent and talented pair of wizards, and in your time here you have proven yourselves brave as well. But sometimes I fear for you, and for the path you may take."

"What!" James said, sounding horrified. "Professor, we would never do _anything_ like the things the Slytherins do – all that Dark Magic and stuff! We just play pranks on people!"

"Indeed. What would _you_ do, James, if someone put a hex on you when you were on your way to the Great Hall?"

James stared.

"Hex them back, I suppose, Professor. But –"

"Precisely. Sirius, I do not doubt, would do the same. What would your friend Mr. Pettigrew do?"

"Peter… He would… Nothing, I suppose. Just wait for somebody to cast the counter-curse."

"Have you ever considered how he would feel?"

"_Feel?_" James sounded like he thought Dumbledore was speaking Mermish. "Why would anybody _feel_ anything? Somebody hexes you, you hex them, you get on with whatever you were doing."

"And if you cannot hex them?"

"Why would you not be able to hex –"

"James, there are many things you cannot understand. You come from a wealthy and respected wizarding family. You yourself are clever, quick and skilled. You are the hero of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And you, Sirius, handsome and accomplished, are also from an old and wealthy wizarding family. I know that neither of you supports Lord Voldemort or his abominable ideas, but in your ignorance you are often as cruel as those of your classmates who _do_ perform dark magic."

Professor Dumbledore got to his feet and walked around the table.

"Imagine, if you can, what it would be like if you were _not_ talented. Imagine trying to cast the Disarming Spell twenty times and succeeding once. Imagine not being able to remember a single counter-curse, or to cast it if somehow you did. Imagine standing in the shadows, alone and friendless despite your best efforts. And _then_ imagine somebody, popular and admired, with more talent than you could ever have, walking past and hexing you for no reason other than that it looked like it might be interesting."

James and Sirius could think of nothing to say.

* * *

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	12. Reflections

**DISCLAIMER:** The name's not Jo!

Thanks to Someone aka Me, silverbirch, MoldyBreadForVoldy, Macabre-Melody and cherrycool for reviewing!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **I said two weeks and it turned into three! I am so sorry... But things have been chaotic. I'm hoping it'll all calm down after this week and I'll be able to update frequently.

Please stay with me! :)

And now on with the story...

* * *

**CHAPTER 12: REFLECTION**

"Do you think he was right?"

Sirius's voice was barely above a whisper as he and James made their way back to Gryffindor Tower, although there was now no need for silence. The Headmaster had told them that he planned to write to both their families, though he would not reveal that the werewolf in question was Remus. In Sirius's case this would not matter; his mother would probably be pleased with him. James, as they both knew, could expect a Howler from his home within the next few days.

All the same, Sirius whispered.

"I don't know," James said, just as softly. "I never thought about it... Well, I _did_ think about how I'd feel if somebody hexed me, after McGonagall shouted at us last month when we cast the Furnunculus on Snivelly. But I would just be annoyed, and I'd probably hex _them _and that would be it. I didn't think anyone would really _mind_."

Sirius nodded.

"I know. Although we should have guessed, I suppose – after all, we know Wormtail."

"But Wormtail's scared of everything!" James shook his head. "He was terrified that time we were in the Forest and he heard hooves. I told him it was probably Thestrals – "

"It was; I asked Hagrid."

"And in any case werewolves are only dangerous to humans. You'd think he would know that by now!" Sirius shrugged mutely. James frowned. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Not _again_. We've gotten ourselves in enough trouble today – "

"_I'm_ in trouble, not you. Dumbledore was just lecturing you on principle, because you were there. He has no reason to be angry with you. You didn't know anything about it and you saved the greasy git's life."

"I wasn't trying to save his life." James looked down at the threadbare carpet illuminated by the faint light from his wand. "I was trying to keep you and Moony out of trouble."

"It comes to the same thing. You risked your life to save Snivelly."

"No. It doesn't. If it had been just Snape – if he'd been in the Forbidden Forest cornered by some other werewolf or about to be eaten by the giant squid or something like that... I don't know if I'd have gone after him. I didn't think of Snivelly at all – well, I did a little – but mainly I was worried about you getting in trouble and Moony being up before the Ministry."

"There's nothing wrong with being concerned about your friends, Prongs."

"No, of course not, but there _is_ something wrong with not being concerned about somebody else's _life_."

"Prongs, I know you. You have far too many ridiculous ideas about honour, and you can be the most utter git, but you would never have stood by and let Snivelly _die_." Sirius shuddered. "I, on the other hand, would have been shouting encouragement to the werewolf."

James grinned.

"It was a joke."

"But not a joke like all the others we play. The worst that happens with Furnunculus is that you have to visit the hospital wing. This was dangerous; Snivelly could've been killed."

"You wouldn't have done it if you'd thought of that."

"But why _didn't_ I think of it?" Sirius's eyes gleamed moodily. "_You_ thought of it right away."

"Because you never think, you git."

"What if it's because I'm like _them_?"

"Like whom?"

"Bellatrix – my parents – Narcissa – all of them. None of _them_ would have thought about who might have died because none of them would have cared. Maybe I _do_ belong in Slytherin."

"No, you _don't_," James said forcefully. "You didn't think, Padfoot. That was all. It could have happened to anyone – "

"Not to you!"

"I wasn't that concerned about Snivelly either!"

"But you wouldn't have sent him in!"

"Neither would you if you'd realized what it could lead to! You made a mistake once; now that you know, you won't do it again. That's all there is to it."

"You don't understand! I _still_ don't care about Snivellus!"

"Padfoot, all that happened tonight was that you played a prank on him. That hasn't made him any more bearable in all our years at Hogwarts. Even Dumbledore can't expect you to love everybody, and if you started _liking_ Snivelly I'd disown you."

"Don't be thick, Prongs," Sirius said roughly. "I don't expect to like him if we both live a hundred years and I see him chased by a werewolf every _day_. But I – I can't really explain it. When you went into the tunnel I'd have gone after you if Dumbledore hadn't turned up – even if you _hadn't_ told me Moony might bite somebody – but if it had been just Snivelly..."

"You just said yourself that there's nothing wrong with being concerned about your friends."

"And you _know_ there's a difference between giving Snivelly a tail and telling him to go to the Shrieking Shack on a full moon night."

James said nothing, and they walked on in silence until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. She let them in ("I haven't had a decent night's sleep since the two of you came to Hogwarts!") but instead of going up the stairs to the dormitory, Sirius turned to James.

"What are we – "

"We're going to bed," James said firmly. "And we're thinking about it in the morning. Go on, I have to clear up my homework – I forgot about that earlier. I'll be up in a minute."

Sirius nodded and disappeared up the stairs. James was about to turn when a voice, sounding suspicious but not remotely surprised, said, "Potter? What have you and Black been doing?"

James turned to see Lily and Alice sitting by the fire surrounded by quills, ink bottles, scraps of parchment and the other debris of their Transfiguration homework.

* * *

Severus Snape lay in bed, but he couldn't sleep. A mixture of fury and anticipation filled his mind. He could not _believe_ that Dumbledore had not expelled Black and Potter on the spot – they had tried to get him killed! No matter what Black said about having been the only one involved, Severus had no doubt that they were all in it together.

And to think that the Headmaster _knew_ Lupin was a werewolf – knew, and permitted him to attend Hogwarts with respectable witches and wizards! Malfoy was right; Dumbledore _was_ an old fool. He was powerful, but he simply couldn't see that there was no place for half-breeds if wizards were to survive.

But he had achieved the true purpose of his expedition.

Severus smiled to himself in the darkness. Potter and Black were helping Lupin in some way. Abetting a werewolf. That would be enough to make his fellow Slytherins, and even the Dark Lord, turn against them for good. The Dark Lord might forgive wrongheaded idealism, especially in the young who could not be expected no know better, but he would _never_ forgive consorting with werewolves and half-breeds.

And Lily...

Severus's smile widened.

Lily would know the depths to which Potter could sink, and she would never want to speak to him again. And perhaps he would be able to make her see that the Dark Lord was not truly evil... He simply sought the good of wizards, and if some Muggles had to be sacrificed there was really nothing anybody could do about it.

The thought of the promise he had made Dumbledore troubled Severus not at all. What, when you got right down to it, could the old fool do? He would not resort to the Dark Lord's methods; he would probably talk to Snape, look disappointed, give him detention – at the very worst, expel him.

The Dark Lord did not care about Dumbledore's favour.

Still smiling, Snape drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Peter was wakeful. He had not been able to sleep, even after it had been clear that Dumbledore did not intend to punish him. He was too scared.

He had always believed that Padfoot and Prongs could protect him from anything. But now he knew that it was not so. He had seen Padfoot looking scared – terrified – when Prongs went into the tunnel, and if Dumbledore hadn't turned up somebody might have been killed. Not Peter; he would have transformed into his Animagus form at the first sign that the werewolf had noticed his presence. Unlike Prongs, he had felt no need to risk his own life to help Snivellus.

He had also seen the look Prongs and Padfoot had exchanged when Dumbledore was taking them back to his office. They had _both_ been scared then; more than that, they had been helpless.

Peter had realized, suddenly, that in a short time he and his friends would be leaving Hogwarts, would be living in a world where Voldemort might attack at any moment and you couldn't save yourself from all trouble by shouting for Prongs... A world where Prongs, even if he _did_ come to help you, might be able to do nothing.

He heard the door open.

"Prongs?"

"It's me. Prongs'll be up in a minute."

"What happened?"

"What do you think? There'll be a Howler from Mrs. Potter tomorrow."

Peter grinned.

"So long as _that's_ all."

He shut his eyes, but he did not sleep.

* * *

Dumbledore, with a sigh, turned to look at his phoenix.

"What do you think, Fawkes?"

The phoenix said nothing.

"I do not believe I shall have to worry about James and Sirius – they are not malicious. But Severus may present more of a problem."

The phoenix sang a single note.

Dumbledore nodded.

"You're right; perhaps I will. But it will have to wait till morning."

* * *

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	13. Second Chances

**DISCLAIMER: **Nothing is mine.

Thanks to silverbirch, Someone aka Me, MouldyBreadForVoldy, awaylaughingonafastcamel and Macabre-Melody for reviewing.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Another long delay... A very big thank you to everyone who is retaining the patience to stay with me. :)

On with the story!

* * *

**CHAPTER 13: SECOND CHANCES**

James stood rooted to the spot until Alice said, "Well, what _have_ you been doing, Potter?"

"We... we've been out."

"I can see that," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "And I cannot say that I am surprised. What have you been_ doing_? If you were going after Severus again –"

James opened his mouth to say they had not been going after Snape, and then he shut it again. Of course Dumbledore would forbid Snape to tell Lily anything that had happened that night, but he could not lie to Lily Evans.

"Well?" Lily said impatiently.

"Nothing permanent," James said, trying to recover his usual carefree manner. "Nothing he won't recover from, at any rate –"

Lily shook her head.

"Honestly, Potter, do you _ever _think about anybody other than yourself? What has Severus ever done to you?"

"He exists," James said automatically, although he was not entirely certain he meant that.

Lily looked furious. Alice glanced at her and then at James and got to her feet saying, "Right, you two stay here and argue. I am going up to bed. Good night, Potter. See you, Lily."

As soon as she had gone, Lily burst out, "Are you completely out of your mind, Potter? Do you know how much like a Death Eater you sound? Yes, you do! 'Because he exists'! It's just as bad as saying 'because he's a Muggle' or 'because he's a Mudblood'."

"I would never –"

"You would never mistreat somebody for being Muggle-born, is that what you're going to tell me? That's not because you're noble, Potter. Pure blood is important to the Death Eaters – but tell me, what's important to you? Being cool? Being able to hex people? Being good at Quidditch? That's what you mean when you say, 'Because he exists.' You're just as bad as –"

"Hold on," James protested. "I don't go around hexing everybody who isn't good at Quidditch or –"

"Yes, that's because they're humble enough to realize that they suffer from the defect of not being James Potter and try to make up for it by admiring you. That's what your friend Pettigrew does and you _let_ him!"

"I don't –"

"He makes a fool of himself, going on and on about your Quidditch exploits. And you _let_ him make a fool of himself because it helps _your_ ego; it makes _you_ feel good. Do you call that being a friend?"

"We stand up for him –"

"Yes, that's what he needs, isn't it? Instead of learning to stand up for _himself_ he needs the wonderful James Potter and Sirius Black to do it for him!"

James shook his head, saying nothing. Lily looked at him and frowned.

"Potter?" she asked in a slightly gentler tone. "Is something wrong?"

"No," James said, not trusting himself to say anything else. "No... I'm fine... Just tired... I'll clear up my homework and go to bed."

* * *

Sirius was awake when James finally returned to the dormitory.

"Prongs? What took so long?"

James shook his head.

"Evans was in the Common Room; you know her. She was going on about how we need to be nicer to Snivelly –"

Sirius sighed.

"Go to bed. We'll discuss it in the morning."

James nodded and changed into his pyjamas. He was about to get into his bed when Sirius said, "Prongs?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you realize something?"

"What?"

"I'll have to tell Moony about this... What I did, and..."

James managed a grin.

"I wouldn't worry about it. He'll probably lecture you for a bit and that'll be all."

"He might do more than that," Sirius muttered.

"Go to sleep, Padfoot," James said. "We'll discuss it –"

"In the morning," Sirius finished, yawning. "How did I know you would say that?"

"Because you knew I was bound to be sensible?"

* * *

Severus came to breakfast the next morning with a broader smile than he had worn in years. It was all he could do not to reveal the events of the previous night to everyone at the Slytherin table, but he wanted Lily to be the first to hear.

As soon as he had demolished a plate of eggs and bacon he ran to the Gryffindor table, waited with growing impatience while she finished her toast, seized her arm and dragged her outdoors. He was vaguely aware of the disapproving looks he was getting from the Slytherin table, particularly from the elite group of pure-bloods who were practically Death Eaters already, but he did not care. He could explain later – he would think of something to tell them.

For now, he had to tell Lily.

"You will not believe what happened last night!" he said, as soon as they were out in the sunshine.

"I suspect you're about to tell me," Lily said.

"Yes, but... Wait, not yet. We should get further away." Severus cast a nervous glance up at the castle, in the direction of Dumbledore's office. "Let's go down to the lake."

"All right," Lily said slowly. "But why?"

"I don't want that interfering old fool to hear..."

"Do you mean Professor Dumbledore?"

"Precisely." Severus was almost running in his eagerness to reach the lake and begin his tale. "He doesn't want me to tell anybody –"

"Then maybe you shouldn't be telling me."

"No, no, that's all right," Severus insisted. "I told him I wouldn't just to keep him quiet, but I always planned to tell you."

"Sev, you can't break a promise!"

"Why not? He's always going on about second chances and how there's good in everyone and he'll always forgive anybody who truly repents – well,if he _does_ find out then he can prove it now." Severus looked around uncomfortably. "And in any case he won't find out!"

"That's not the point!" Lily said. "You can't promise to keep a secret and then go around telling people."

"You know Dumbledore," Snape protested. "He's just being cautious as usual, because for all his talk about trusting and chances he doesn't consider anybody other than himself trustworthy in the entire wizarding world. You know that!"

"Sev! No, really, I don't want to know. It's not right."

"Secrets never get kept at Hogwarts anyway! In two days it'll have leaked somehow and everybody will know."

"It won't be your fault then."

"And you'll hear a garbled and inaccurate version from other people. I can tell you what really happened."

Lily rolled her eyes.

"I think I have enough sense not to take gossip at face value, Sev."

"That wasn't what I meant! It's just –"

"Come on," Lily said firmly. "We don't have that much free time left this week and we have that Potions homework to finish. Let's go to the library."

* * *

Dumbledore shook his head sadly.

"I must admit I had hopes, Fawkes."

He left his office and went downstairs to the Great Hall, where he stopped the first Slytherin who passed – as it happened, Narcissa Black – and said, "Tell Severus Snape that I want to see him in my office at once if he has no first-period class, and as soon as it is over if he does."

* * *

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	14. Confessions

**DISCLAIMER:** Jo owns it all.

Thanks to oggiethefroggie, silverbirch, Someone aka Me, Macabre-Melody and awaylaughingonafastcamel for reviewing!

On with the story...

* * *

**CHAPTER 14: CONFESSIONS**

It was lunchtime when an owl swooped down into the Great Hall and landed in front of James, carrying a smoking red envelope in its beak.

James shuddered.

"I was hoping she'd forgotten! She probably spent all night perfecting it."

"Open it," Sirius urged, as Peter sidled as far away from James as possible. "Just get it over with."

James carefully slit the envelope.

"JAMES POTTER! YOUR FATHER AND I ARE _ASHAMED_! NOT ONE WEEK HAS GONE BY THIS TERM – NOT ONE _SINGLE_ WEEK – WHEN WE HAVE NOT HAD A LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE ABOUT YOUR MISBEHAVIOUR. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT YOU UP SO BADLY!"

"Better than it could be, mate," Sirius whispered, as everyone else at the Gryffindor table turned to stare.

"BAD ENOUGH THAT YOU DO THINGS THAT PUT _YOU_ IN DANGER, BUT TO DELIBERATELY ENDANGER YOUR FRIENDS –"

"That's not fair," Sirius whispered. "Dumbledore _must_ have told her I did it."

James shook his head and said nothing.

"AND FURTHERMORE, I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS ANY LONGER. I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ONE MORE COMPLAINT ABOUT YOU THIS TERM!"

James heaved a sigh of relief as the envelope burst into flame.

* * *

Severus felt unaccountably uncomfortable as he made his way to Professor Dumbledore's office. Partly, he admitted to himself, he was upset that Lily had not even wanted to _hear_ his news. What was the point of exposing Potter and Black as the delinquents they were if he got no credit?

Partly... He had an odd sense that Dumbledore might know of his attempt to tell Lily the story. The old fool was sharp that way – or perhaps he had secret ways of tracking the students.

And to think that of all people, Narcissa Black had delivered the Headmaster's message! She had an infuriating habit of looking at Severus as though he was a very bad smell. She thought that he was not good enough to be in the same _country_ as members of the Black family, leave alone in the same school and the same House.

Well, he would show her. The time would come when Severus Snape would sit at the right hand of the Dark Lord, who, in his wisdom and foresight, would know that half-blood or not, Severus was as capable as –

"_Password!_" the gargoyle said irritably, clearly having asked for it several times already. Severus started. He had noticed that he was outside Dumbledore's office.

"I don't know," Snape said sourly. "But the Headmaster is expecting me."

The gargolye rolled its eyes.

"No password, no entry. Even the Minister for Magic doesn't get in without a password."

* * *

"What are we going to say?" Sirius whispered.

"We'll tell him the truth," James said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"Do you think he'll be angry?" Peter asked nervously.

"I don't think he'll be pleased," James said. "But he won't hold it against us forever. Now come on, let's go in."

* * *

Severus fidgeted. He had been arguing with the gargoyle for ten minutes before the Headmaster had come downstairs and let him in. He had a feeling that Dumbledore had known as soon as he had arrived, but had let him wait outside to make him nervous.

He set his lips. He would _not_ give the Headmaster the satisfaction of having upset him.

"Well, Severus?" Dumbledore said finally.

"You sent for me, Headmaster?"

"I did. You know why." Snape tried to look politely puzzled. "You _do_ know why, Severus. Please don't lie to me. You are only making it worse for yourself."

Severus considered his options and finally nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"Have you nothing to say for yourself?"

"I was only telling Lily, sir. She's a prefect, and she is my best friend. I tell her everything."

"Everything, Severus? Did you tell her about what you and Avery did to –"

"No, sir," Severus said stiffly. "It would not interest her, and it might distress her."

"Distress her to know that her – best friend, is it, Severus? – is using Dark Magic on innocent students? On First-Years? Yes, I think it would."

Severus looked up at the Headmaster.

"What about Potter?"

"What about him?" Dumbledore asked.

"Do you call _him_ into your office and lecture him about all the people he hexes?"

"Severus, I want to help you," Dumbledore said quietly. "You are not as far gone as you believe. I did not call you here to punish you. I called you to speak to you."

"I –"

"Listen to me, please, Severus. I know why you did what you did last night. I know, perhaps, better than you know yourself. And while all signs indicate that you are just another Death Eater in the making, I believe that there is still hope for you to redeem yourself."

"_Redeem_ myself?" Severus spluttered.

"Severus, I am going to tell you something that very few people know. It is knowledge that might prove... dangerous... if Voldemort should find out that you have it. But I believe it will help you, or I would not give it to you."

"Yes?" Severus asked, unable to keep some of the interest out of his voice.

"Lord Voldemort, as you have probably guessed, was a student at Hogwarts many years ago. His true name is not important. What _is_ important, for you, is that he is a half-blood."

* * *

When Remus woke up, he was not sure exactly why he felt an odd sense of dread. Then he remembered.

James and Snape in the tunnel.

He groaned.

"He's awake!" a voice said with an odd mixture of relief and fear.

Remus opened his eyes.

James, Sirius and Peter were sitting in chairs around his bed. Peter was sitting near the foot of the bed, as though wanting to be as far away from him as possible.

Remus shivered. He had not bitten anybody – he _thought_ he had not bitten anybody, but sometimes when rage overtook him and his wolf senses overcame his brain he did things and did not remember them later. He looked from James to Sirius, and was relieved to see that while they both looked grave, they did not look as worried as they would have done if he had bitten somebody.

"I'm sorry, Prongs," Remus rasped.

James jumped.

"Sorry? Why are _you_ sorry?"

"I almost bit you – I wasn't expecting you in human form! And with Snape –"

"Moony," Sirius said softly. "Before you say anything else, you should listen to us. We have something – _I_ have something to tell you."

* * *

"It is not possible," Severus hissed. "The Dark Lord is –"

"Voldemort was human once, Severus, just like all of us. He has become something else now, and I shudder to think of what he has done to himself to turn himself into what he is... But once he was a student, just as you are now."

"But all his followers believe that he is a pureblood," Severus protested. "That cannot be a lie."

"Can't it? Think, Severus. Yes, he is a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, but not even the Blacks and the Malfoys have family trees going that far back in time. The line of Salazar Slytherin passed into obscurity centuries ago."

"The Dark Lord –"

"The Dark Lord cares nothing for purity of blood," Dumbledore snapped. "Why should he? He has his own reasons for disliking Muggles, and I will not go into them now, but I assure you, they are not noble. He is manipulating the old wizarding families because their arrogance makes them easy prey. He will get rid of them when they have given him what he wants."

"Even if what you say is true," Snape snarled, "why are you telling _me_?"

"Because I believe that you have a choice before you now. You can continue on your path of bitterness, knowing that it will take you to Voldemort, knowing that he has lied to his followers in the past and will do so in the future without compunction. Or you can give it up –"

"Will Potter and Black treat me any better if I give anything up?" Snape asked harshly.

"Will you let _them_ decide _your_ course of action?"

* * *

"You did _what_?"

Sirius almost cringed at Remus's look of shocked horror.

"I'm sorry, Moony," he got out. "I know it was stupid – I wasn't thinking. I was just so furious with Snape that –"

"Don't explain," Remus said shortly. "It doesn't matter."

* * *

Good? Bad?


	15. Promises

**DISCLAIMER:** All hers! Except for _Julius C__æ__sar_, which belongs to Shakespeare.

Thanks to silverbirch, awaylaughingonafastcamel, Someone aka Me, Silivren Tinu and Macabre-Melody for reviewing!

Onward!

* * *

**CHAPTER 15: PROMISES**

"Moony," James ventured, "I know you're angry, and you have a right to be, but if you'll just listen –"

"Listen?" Remus snapped. "I don't _want_ to listen! I've told you – how many _times_ have I told you and Padfoot to lay off Snape? It stopped being funny a long time ago."

"It's not Prongs's fault," Sirius said. "He didn't know, and he was the one who went after Snape and tried to stop him."

"Last night isn't the problem," Remus said darkly. "Although I don't understand how you could have been so stupid. The problem is the two of you and your attitude."

James and Sirius tried not to look at each other when Remus said that, but habit was too strong, and they found themselves exchanging a brief glance over his head.

"There you go again," Remus growled. "Professor Moony, Dumbledore's little pet, always saying what McGonagall tells him to! If you had listened to me in the beginning and not spent so much time trying to think of new ways in which to make people's lives miserable –"

"Look, we'll give Snivelly a break," James began desperately, but Remus cut in before he could say anything else.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, not hex him for a bit –"

"Not jinx him –"

"Not make his Potions textbook bite him whenever he touches it –"

"Oh, yes, that _was_ a good one."

"Wasn't it? And then there was the time with the Niffler –"

"Stop it!" Remus bellowed. "Stop it! You're doing it again."

Sirius and James looked at him in astonishment. "Stop what, Moony?" Sirius asked, and Remus fought not to grind his teeth.

"Stop planning unpleasant tricks to play on Snape."

"We weren't planning them," James protested. "We were listing the things we're _not_ going to do. I thought you'd be pleased about that."

"You were not listing things you're not going to do. You were reminiscing fondly about things you've already done. You two amaze me, honestly. You know the entire contents of the Charms textbook without having to read it, you worked out the Animagus transformation by yourselves at the age of fifteen, but in some things you can be so _stupid_!"

Sirius looked alarmed.

"Moony, calm down. We were just joking –"

"All right, it was a stupid joke," James put in. "But we'll give him a break. Really."

"You'll give him a break?"

"Yes!" James and Sirius chorused.

"You won't hex him or jinx him or do anything else to him?"

"Well, you don't mean _never_, do you?"

"What if he does something to us first?"

Remus sighed. "All right. You won't hex him, jinx him or do anything else to him without reasonable – please note the word _reasonable_ – provocation?"

"Yes!"

"Ever again?"

"When you say _ever_," Sirius asked, "do you mean _really_ ever, or are we talking about... say... two weeks?"

"Two _weeks_?"

"Three weeks?" James offered.

Remus groaned and buried his head in his hands.

"Are you two really so thick, or are you doing this just to make my life difficult?"

"Well, come on, Moony," Sirius argued, "it's not like we don't play jokes on other people. You want us to be _extra_ nice to Snape?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of no more hexing in the corridors at all." Seeing the horrified looks James and Sirius exchanged, he said, "I know, I know, I was hoping for too much."

"No," James said, suddenly serious. "You're right, Moony. No more hexing in the corridors."

"No more hexing," Sirius confirmed.

"Except Snivelly –"

"If he gets _really_ annoying –"

"And we'll tone it down with him."

"Let's say once a day?"

Remus glared.

"All right, Moony, just joking. Once a week."

Remus continued to glare.

"Once in two weeks?"

"Come on," James urged. "Once in two weeks for a git like Snivelly who deserves to be hexed every two _hours_, who would offer you a better bargain than that?"

Before Remus could say anything, Madam Pomfrey came bustling over.

"All right, now, get out, all of you. He needs some rest and he'll never get it if you sit here talking. Go on, out!"

In the doorway, Sirius turned back to enquire, "We _are_ still allowed to hex people in the Common Room, aren't we?"

He ducked the pillow thrown in his direction, turned and fled.

* * *

"What is it, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"I do not believe you will have to worry about James and Sirius any more. They have learnt their lesson – a hard lesson, I think, for both of them. I do not imagine that they will turn into model students, but they will not cause any more serious trouble."

"What happened?"

"Let us say they had an adventure last night."

Professor McGonagall frowned.

"Is it anything to do with Lupin and his... problem?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes... I suppose you ought to know, as they are in your House. But don't discuss it with them. I have spoken to them already, and I know Miss Evans has spoken to Mr Potter. It will take some time, but I think we will see an improvement."

"But what happened?"

Dumbledore, now that it was all over, found that he could smile quite happily.

"Sirius, from what I can gather, goaded Severus into going down to the Whomping Willow and getting into the tunnel –"

"He did WHAT?"

"Calm yourself, Minerva," Dumbledore said. "No harm has come of it. When James realized what had happened, he went after Severus to stop him, and I went after both of them. They are both safe, as you would have seen today, and neither of them was bitten."

"Did Black _know_ that –"

"Oh, yes, he did. I cannot say that I am surprised about that. I expected Remus to tell his friends eventually."

Professor McGonagall shook her head.

"That's all very well, but how could he _be_ so... so..."

Dumbledore chuckled as he watched the Head of Gryffindor struggle to find a word that fully described the magnitude of her student's stupidity.

* * *

Peter could not hold back a shiver as he followed Sirius and James down the stairs. He had never imagined that anything could persuade his two friends to agree to treat Snape better... Peter had a feeling the resolve would not last, but it made him worry.

"You go on. I'll be up in a minute," he said when they reached the Entrance Hall. "I have to go to the library."

Sirius nodded, but neither he nor James said anything as they went on upstairs to Gryffindor Tower. Peter stood looking at their retreating backs for a moment, and then he walked away in the direction of the library.

He was not sure precisely what he was going to do there, but he needed some time away from his friends.

In the library, he took a slender book from the nearest rack, barely even bothering to note its title.

He sat down at the nearest table, and opened the book, noting vaguely that it was a Muggle book, and wondering who had ordered it for the library. Professor Dumbledore, probably. They said Professor Dumbledore even read Muggle newspapers.

He opened it to the first page.

_Enter Flavius, Marullus and a rabble of Citizens._

He scowled, flipped several pages so that it would look like he was engrossed in his reading and nobody would disturb him, and settled down, with his head in his hands, to think.

He heard voices, and looked around. There were several of the older Slytherins gathered around one of the tables, talking in hushed voices – too softly to bother Madam Pomfrey, who was at the other end of the library arranging some books, but loudly enough that Peter, if he sidled around one of the bookshelves behind them, might be able to overhear.

Leaving the book open at a page headed, "Act III, Scene I," Peter slipped behind a rack and made his way to the Slytherins.

* * *

What did you think? Was that a little too much foreshadowing at the end? But I was re-reading _Julius Cæsar_ just before I wrote this chapter, and I just had to make that the book Peter was reading in the library.

Please review!


	16. The Legacy of the Blacks

**DISCLAIMER:** All Jo's!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This is something of a disjointed chapter – but all will come together in the next one, which will probably be the last.

Just as a clarification – the foreshadowing with JC in the last chapter was not for an event in this fic, but for the overall scheme of things and Peter's eventual betrayal. Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough! *g*

Thanks to Someone aka Me, I am Animal, FishPonysRock, silverbirch, Silivren Tinu, Macabre-Melody and awaylaughingonafastcamel for reviewing.

Onward!

* * *

**CHAPTER 16: THE LEGACY OF THE BLACKS**

"So Lupin is a werewolf… Father has long suspected that."

It was a female voice. Peter tried to peer through the books to see who was talking, but he could not quite manage it without pushing aside enough of them to risk exposing himself.

"We have _all_ suspected that, Cissa," another voice said. "It is just like the fool Dumbledore to endanger us all by letting halfbreeds wander around loose. What I want to know is why we're not doing anything about it. This cannot be allowed."

"I had a message from Bella," Narcissa Black responded. "We are not to do anything. That is the Dark Lord's command."

"But _why_?" someone asked, a little too loudly.

"Be quiet," hissed a voice Peter recognized as belonging to Avery. "Do you want to get us caught? Dumbledore may be an old fool, but he is still powerful, both in this school and in the wizarding world. The Dark Lord will not be pleased if we give his plans away."

"Why are we not exposing the werewolf?"

"The Dark Lord thinks he may be useful. Remember, he is close to Potter, and to Sirius Black."

"Blood traitors," Narcissa growled.

"Blood traitors, yes, but they have proven their ability, and Gryffindors never lack dumb courage. The Dark Lord might be willing to forgive the follies of their youth if they can be persuaded… Shall we say, to see sense?"

"This is pointless!" someone said in frustration. "Why do we stand here discussing Black and Potter? Let's go finish off the werewolf –"

"_No!_" Narcissa said sharply. "The Dark Lord has forbidden it. He may be the key to more than you know. Sirius is my cousin, after all, brought up as a Black although he tries to pretend he always had Muggle-loving tendencies like the Potters. He knows werewolves are not to be trusted, and when it comes to the uttermost test, he will not trust Lupin. And perhaps Lupin himself may be persuaded to give them to the Dark Lord… if he is offered the right compensation."

"We are leaving the werewolf alive because your cousin may mistrust him at some point in the distant future?"

"Have some sense!" Narcissa snapped. "The Dark Lord wants Potter and Sirius, either alive and serving him, or dead. We cannot do anything while they are here under the Muggle-lover's nose… But Lupin may well prove to be their undoing. Why should we eliminate their greatest weakness? The more halfbreeds in Dumbledore's ranks, the better. There will be doubt, and there will surely be an advantage for us."

Peter just managed to hold back a gasp. His legs were starting to cramp from not moving, but suddenly he did not dare move – what if they heard him? Peter had no desire to get on the wrong side of the Dark Lord.

As quietly as he could, he dropped into a crouch. He pulled out his wand and pointed it in the direction of one of the bookshelves, murmuring a soft spell that caused the shelf to tip over and several books to fall out.

The Slytherins leapt from their seats at the resultant crash, turning to stare in the direction of the shelf and the very irate Madam Pince now hovering over it. Silently, Peter slipped out of the library.

* * *

"Prongs?"

"Yeah?"

"Isn't Wormtail taking much too long to get one book?"

James shrugged.

"Where else could he be? Don't worry about him, Padfoot. He might just have wanted some time to himself."

"In the _library_? I didn't know he even knew how to find it."

"He'll be fine."

Sirius nodded, his gaze going to the window. Several Ravenclaws were going through the grounds in the direction of the Quidditch pitch, their brooms over their shoulders.

"Prongs?"

"_What_, Padfoot?"

"Does spying on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team violate our promise to Moony?"

James grinned.

"I'll get the Cloak."

Before he could get out of his chair, though, Sirius said, "Prongs, wait!" James looked at him questioningly. "Look… There, by the beech tree… Isn't that Wormtail?"

James leant precariously over the arm of his chair to peer out the window at the solitary figure making its way to the lake.

"That _is_ Wormtail," he said.

"Why would he be there?"

James shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he wants to see the squid."

"He's scared of the squid."

"Ask him when he gets back, then. Are you coming to watch the Ravenclaws or not?"

"Maybe we'd better not go," Sirius said thoughtfully, something telling him that it was best not to go outdoors at this time. "We have all that homework. Besides, not really honourable to spy on them under the Cloak, is it?"

James, giving him a slightly puzzled look, shook his head and went back to his essay. Sirius unrolled his parchment, but his mind was not on his homework.

Typical of James, both to accept honour as a reason not to chase the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and to exhibit neither curiosity nor surprise at Sirius's rapid change of heart. Sirius knew him better than anybody, better even than Remus or Peter, and he knew that it would never even occur to James to doubt his motives. For all his cleverness, James could be very naïve.

Sirius, on the other hand, knew to the last inch the depths to which witches and wizards could sink. He would believe anything of anybody – well, not of James, perhaps – and as far as he was concerned, not even Dumbledore himself was above suspicion.

Not that he actually _suspected_ anyone of anything now, although he did plan to talk to Peter… But Sirius knew that if ever the time came to suspect, he would have to be the one to do it and to act on it. James would ignore any evidence presented to him, and probably reproach Sirius for harbouring such notions about their friends. The quality was endearing, and at any other time it would have been a harmless eccentricity – but now, in _this_ time, it might mean disaster.

Sirius glanced at James again.

He had learnt one useful thing from his mother, at least. He, unlike James, had learnt how to be realistic. When the time came, he would just have to be realistic – or unpleasantly suspicious, he thought wryly – for both of them.

* * *

Severus looked at the only other occupant of the room with an unblinking, calculating stare that would have unnerved anybody but Bellatrix Black's sister.

"What do you want, Narcissa?"

"I have been asked to make you an offer."

"An offer," Severus repeated, his black eyes registering no emotion whatsoever. "Am I right in presuming that the offer comes from the Dark Lord? I did not know _you_ were his chosen messenger."

"Presume nothing," Narcissa said coldly.

Severus waited.

"My sister Bellatrix wants to talk to you."

"Why should I talk to her?"

"You needn't. But before you refuse, you would do well to keep in mind that to the likes of _you_, this offer is not made twice. You have proven yourself useful. Consider this a reward."

"I will talk to her," Snape said.

"I thought you might."

"When?"

"Don't worry about that. She will find you."

* * *

Madam Pomfrey seemed very put out as she opened the door to the hospital wing and came in.

"Lupin?"

Remus looked up.

"You have a visitor." She stepped aside to admit Peter into the room. "Ten minutes," was all she said before she left.

* * *

What did you think? Please review!


	17. Offers and Suspicions

**DISCLAIMER:** Nothing is mine.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Well, this _is_ the end at last… Many thanks to everyone who's stayed with me through this fic, who's reviewed or added it to their Favourites or Alerts. You guys kept me going! *g*

Thanks to Cwambeta, Katanagirl16, Someone aka Me, Silivren Tinu, silverbirch, tradreader, Dyng Rose, awaylaughingonafastcamel and Macabre-Melody for reviewing.

Onward to the end!

* * *

**CHAPTER 17: OFFERS AND SUSPICIONS**

Remus looked curiously at his friend. Never before had Peter ventured to visit him alone, always preferring to come in the company of either James or Sirius, and usually both.

Peter sat in one of the chairs by the bed, looking unaccountably nervous but saying nothing. Remus waited as patiently as he could, although in truth Peter's slight frown and the nervous twitching of his hands in his lap were beginning to alarm him.

"Wormtail?" he prompted.

"Moony, have you ever thought about what will happen if You-Know-Who really takes over the wizarding world?"

Remus' eyes widened.

"I try _not_ to think about that too much," he said. "It's enough to know that the possibility is too terrible to contemplate and we need to do everything we can to prevent it."

"Yes, but… What will it mean for _us_?"

"For us?"

"Well, yes… Moony, I'm worried about Prongs."

"About Prongs?" Remus said in astonishment. "I wouldn't worry about him. Prongs can take care of himself if anybody can."

"Yes, but he trusts too blindly! He's a pureblood, after all. You-Know-Who would want him, alive as a servant or dead if he refused to be a Death Eater. What if someone he trusted were to give him away?"

"Who would –" Remus cut himself off in horror at the look on Peter's face. "Merlin, you mean Padfoot, don't you? You think _Padfoot_ would give Prongs to You-Know-Who! How can you even _suggest_ something like that? Padfoot wouldn't do that to any of us, and never to Prongs!"

"He might if he had no choice!"

"How could he possibly have no choice?"

"Most of his family is in league with the Death Eaters! What if You-Know-Who just held one of them hostage? He might even persuade Bellatrix or Narcissa to give him Andromeda. What would Padfoot do then?"

"He wouldn't betray us," Remus said, although he did not sound as certain as he had done earlier. "Padfoot would _never_ betray any of us, no matter what. You… You know that. I can't believe you would even consider the possibility. It's completely ridiculous."

"That's what Prongs would say," Peter muttered.

Before Remus could reply, Madam Pomfrey came in again and ordered Peter out. Long after his friend had gone, the werewolf sat looking unseeingly down at the pages of the book he was ostensibly reading, trying to convince himself that Peter's suspicions were absurd.

* * *

"Snape!"

The voice startled Severus out of his contemplation; he had no time to react before a hand seized his arm and drew him into a curtained alcove. About to speak sharply to his assailant, he stopped short when he found himself looking into the imperious dark eyes of Bellatrix Black.

"How did you get in?" Snape demanded.

"It was not difficult," she said dismissively. "There are plenty of ways to enter Hogwarts. The old fool knows that, I'm sure; I cannot imagine why he does nothing about it."

"What do you want?"

"I am here to make you an offer. Listen well, Snape; I am not in the habit of repeating myself. The Dark Lord is impressed by your enterprise, and so he is willing, despite your blood, to give you a chance to prove your worth."

Severus bit back the sarcastic retort he was longing to make.

"What does he want me to do?"

"Nothing, yet. You will be told when the time comes. However, the Dark Lord is… concerned… by your regard for the Mudblood Evans. It is inappropriate that one born of a pureblood mother should desire a girl of no magical parentage."

"It is desire only," Snape responded at once, hoping Bellatrix would not detect the lie.

Bellatrix frowned. "Mudblood or not, I suppose she _is_ attractive to the eye," she said finally. "Very well, I will report this to the Dark Lord. Be prepared, Snape. You may be given your first instructions at any time. The Dark Lord does not take failure lightly."

"You assume my willingness to serve the Dark Lord, yet I have said nothing," Severus pointed out.

Bellatrix's frown deepened.

"I assume you have at least a modicum of sense, Snape. You are not one of those in whom the Dark Lord is willing to forgive childishness and you are _definitely_ not one of those who will receive this offer a second time. I came to deliver a message, and I have done so. I will now give you a warning. Do not behave like a half-witted Gryffindor and let ridiculous ideals of heroism get in the way of your common sense. You have this one chance to redeem yourself in the eyes of the Dark Lord. Do not squander it."

* * *

James and Sirius, walking down the corridor engrossed in a Zonko's catalogue, had not noticed the suspicious bulge in the curtain until Snape, his sallow face even paler than usual, pushed the drape aside and stepped out of the alcove.

"Do you suppose there's a Boggart in there?" Sirius muttered to James.

"A Boggart? Likelier there was soap," James whispered back, sniggering.

Snape, brushing past them in time to hear the last part of James's sentence, looked up with a frown.

"What were you saying, Potter?"

James turned to Snape and opened his mouth to respond in his usual fashion, with a creative insult or a well-timed jibe, but he suddenly remembered his promise to Moony. He did not know how long he could keep it, but he at least intended to try.

"Nothing," he said, tugging Sirius on down the corridor.

As they walked away he chanced a glance back over his shoulder and saw Lily, who had evidently been right behind him and Sirius, stopping Snape and saying something to him. She seemed to sense his gaze, because she raised her head and met his eyes for a moment before nodding and turning away.

* * *

"Prongs?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you ever scared?"

"Scared?" James looked startled. "Of what?"

"Of everything that's happening." Sirius waved a vague hand. "Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and the way things are going outside Hogwarts. Are you ever scared of what the wizarding world is going to be like when we leave this place?"

"Yes," James said slowly. "But we'll beat Voldemort, Padfoot. You know we will."

"I'm not so sure," Sirius muttered. "Most of my family is on his side already. Regulus will probably join him as soon as he finishes school –"

"He'd never do that," James protested. "He's your brother."

"He _is_ my brother, and I know him. He's not as malicious as Bella or Cissa, I'll give him that. But he's an idiot. He thinks Voldemort has the right idea and…" Sirius shook his head. "Prongs, do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"No, do you _really_ trust me?"

"What are you on about?"

"I'm scared for you," Sirius burst out. "Voldemort won't do anything to me unless I actually get in his way; too many of my beloved cousins are on his side. But he hates your parents already for refusing to join him. He might go after you to get to them."

"I can take care of myself."

"You can't." At James's surprised look, he said, "No, you _can't_ take care of yourself, Prongs. Anyone who knows you at all knows that. I could take you to Voldemort _now_ and you'd go on trusting me right up until I threw you at his feet!"

"But you wouldn't," James protested.

Sirius sighed. "_I_ wouldn't. That's not the point. Prongs, promise me something?"

"What?"

"Promise me that if your safety is ever in question you will do exactly as I tell you, even if you don't agree with me. Promise me you'll trust me that much." James nodded almost without thought, and Sirius let out another frustrated sigh. "Prongs, you _idiot_!"

"_What?_" James demanded indignantly.

"Never mind. Let's go find Moony and Wormtail."

**The End**

* * *

Ah, I can't believe it's over! I'm not quite sure what will be next… However, I will probably start posting something in a few weeks.

Many, many thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, and I hope that the ending didn't leave you _too_ unsatisfied. ;-)


End file.
